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January 14, 2026

Monterey County lifts indoor mask mandate

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors has voted to suspend the masking requirement of its indoor face covering ordinance, effective immediately. ā€œThis means while wearing face coverings in indoor public settings remains strongly recommended, it is no longer required,ā€ according to Maia Carroll,...

Monterey County’s emergency rental assistance program provides nearly $34M in support

MONTEREY COUNTY — Since launching in March 2021, the Rent and Utility Assistance Program through the County of Monterey in partnership with United Way Monterey County has provided nearly $34 million to help keep residents in their homes during the pandemic. The program used state...

Soledad prison tackles Covid-19 outbreak as families protest over health concerns

SOLEDAD — A small group of about a dozen family members and activists protested Saturday outside the entrance of Salinas Valley State Prison and Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. Their goal was to raise awareness of the increasing Covid-19 infections and deaths inside the facilities,...

Vaccines and travel: What you need to know

For 12 straight days and counting, Transportation Security Administration officers have screened more than 1 million people a day at domestic airports. On Skyscanner, a travel-booking site, weekly booking volume has increased by 75% in the last month. In a recent survey of nearly...

More than half of Monterey County residents vaccinated

MONTEREY COUNTY — Reopening blueprint metrics have Monterey County in the Orange Tier, but the vaccination rates continue to climb. County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno said on April 14 that 48% of the county’s populace age 16 and older have received at least one...

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 inches closer to red tier of California reopening plan

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
MONTEREY COUNTY — Infection rates are declining in Monterey County, with fewer daily confirmed cases of Covid-19 as time goes on, reported county health officer Dr. Edward Moreno during the March 3 press briefing. ā€œIf we continue to avoid gatherings and stay home as much...

Monterey County lifts indoor mask requirement for employees, visitors of county facilities

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County will lift its indoor mask requirement Monday for all county facilities except those that are covered by ongoing state mandates like jails and health care facilities. The county said in a statement that it will lift mask requirements and health...

New Covid-19 variant detected in Monterey County

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
MONTEREY COUNTY — A new Covid-19 variant has been detected in several California counties, including Monterey County, according to the California Department of Public Health. CDPH announced Jan. 17 that a 452R variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, was identified using genetic sequencing...

State’s indoor mask mandate to expire for most vaccinated residents

CALIFORNIA — California will roll back its mask requirement next week for vaccinated residents in most indoor spaces, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. The state implemented the mandate in mid-December as COVID-19 cases began to spike due to the highly infectious omicron variant, requiring residents...

Local News

Salinas Valley Police Reports | Published Jan. 7, 2026

Police Reports are obtained from the local police departments. KING CITY Nov. 2711:14 p.m. Mental Health Crisis on N. 3rd St. Nov. 282:30 p.m. Domestic Violence and...