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Salinas
January 11, 2026

FEMA program offers relief for Covid-related funeral expenses

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County residents can apply for financial help to cover funeral expenses through FEMA’s Covid-19 Funeral Assistance Program, which began accepting applications Monday. As of April 14, Monterey County has lost 348 residents to Covid-19. ā€œFor those families who have lost a loved...

Biden signs stimulus bill ahead of prime-time address

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion economic relief package on Thursday afternoon, ushering in an aggressive infusion of federal aid in a far-reaching effort to address the toll of the coronavirus pandemic. ā€œThis historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of...

Monterey County mask order still on the table

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors has moved forward with a countywide indoor face covering ordinance, which could take effect in late October. Last week the board introduced language for the mask mandate and met on Tuesday for approval. However, due to amendments...

Monterey County hospitals coordinate to fight growing pandemic

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
MONTEREY COUNTY — Representatives from Monterey County’s four hospitals spoke during a press briefing Dec. 9 to share how they are coordinating to react to the recent surge in Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations. Mee Memorial’s Chief Medical Officer Robert Valladares was joined by Natividad’s CMO...

Monterey County schools likely to stay closed through end of school year

Novel Coronavirus Covid-19
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County schools are likely to remain closed through the end of the 2019-20 school year due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. According to online reports Tuesday, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Deneen Guss announced in a letter to parents that the...

Monterey County mask mandate fails to gain enough support

MONTEREY COUNTY — An ordinance that would have required face coverings indoors countywide failed to receive enough support from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors during a special meeting last week. After extensive discussion and public comment at the Sept. 8 meeting, the board voted...

Monterey County remains in Orange Tier

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County will remain in the moderately restrictive Orange Tier in the state’s reopening blueprint system as determined Tuesday, following County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno’s announcement last week that the region could possibly shift soon. During a press briefing May 5,...

Jobless claims decline as coronavirus cases ease

WASHINGTON, D.C. — New claims for unemployment fell last week, the government reported Thursday, the latest sign that the labor market’s recovery, however slow and unsteady, is continuing. ā€œThe numbers look encouraging on the face of it,ā€ said Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford...

Monterey County job centers expand hours as pandemic unemployment benefits expire

MONTEREY COUNTY — On Sept. 4, the federal unemployment insurance program, known as the Pandemic Unemployment Insurance benefit, created under the CARES Act, will expire in California and across the states. ā€œStarting today, over 3 million California workers impacted by the expiration of these critical...

Monterey County moves into red Covid tier

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
MONTEREY COUNTY — Residents in Monterey County can now look forward to fewer restrictions as the region moves from the most severe risk, Purple Tier, and into the moderate risk, Red Tier, of California’s Covid-19 reopening plan. The announcement was made Tuesday after the county...

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Greenfield man sentenced to 25 years in prison for child molestation

GREENFIELD — A Monterey County judge sentenced Miguel Rubio, 42, of Greenfield, to 25 years in prison for committing three counts of forcible lewd...