Local News

SOLEDAD — On Jan. 28, at about 7:43 p.m., a Monterey County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted a vehicle that was driving erratic and unsafe on Highway 101. A records check revealed the vehicle was taken recently during a carjacking in Gonzales. The deputy followed the...

UPDATE: The evacuation warning has been upgraded to an evacuation order for the River, Carmel and Dolan fire burn scar areas and evacuation zones effective Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. Temporary evacuation points have been set up at Toro Park School, 22500 Portola Drive, Salinas; Chualar...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Applications are closing soon for an Individual Artists Grant through the Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC). The Individual Artists Grant program was established to acknowledge artistic excellence, offer direct assistance to artists who demonstrate readiness to take their work to the...

SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) has announced the launch of its Water Efficiency Pilot Program to help rural residents improve water efficiency and contribute to sustainable groundwater management. The Salinas Valley, like much of California, relies on groundwater for residential,...

SALINAS — Regular crowds of at least 3,000 have attended the weekly Salinas Farmers Market since its move to Main Street earlier this year. The Saturday market has become a small community event, drawing hundreds of people within the first few minutes of the opening...

BIG SUR — A wildfire southeast of Big Sur in the Los Padres National Forest has charred at least 2,392 acres in steep, rugged terrain, triggering mandatory evacuations in the area. Monterey County officials have issued evacuation orders for Tassajara Road, from China Camp Campground...

SOLEDAD — Soledad City Council members signed a pledge to be tobacco and vape free, an initiative through the Sun Street Centers STEPS (Safe Teens Empowerment Project) and Blue Zones Project Monterey County programs, during their regular meeting April 5. STEPS is a drug...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support AT HOME, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive approach developed by the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) in collaboration with county leaders throughout the state to effectively and equitably address homelessness in California. This program...

GREENFIELD — A retired captain in the U.S. Navy who grew up in the Salinas Valley returned to the area last week to not only visit family, but also speak to local youth about veterans and the meaning behind Veterans Day. Gilbert “Gil” Acosta was...

Local students from Gonzales and Soledad high schools as well as Main Street Middle School competed in a math, engineering and science competition March 2 at University of California, Santa Cruz, and came home with top prizes.