Local News

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County could move into the yellow tier of the state's pandemic reopening system as soon as next week, the county's top health official said Tuesday. Monterey County's rate of new cases per day per 100,000 residents, adjusted for the county's testing...

SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Fair activities will begin this week with the virtual junior livestock auction set for Saturday, May 8. Like last year, Covid-19 pandemic health guidelines have caused an online format and an earlier scheduling than the traditional mid-May fair dates. Youth from...

SOLEDAD — Soledad Community Health Care District Foundation will host a drawing May 7 for an Amish quilt as part of its annual Mother’s Day fundraiser. Proceeds from tickets purchased for the drawing of the queen-sized quilt will go toward the Soledad Women’s Health Center,...

GREENFIELD — Volunteers with South County Animal Rescue (SCAR) and Soledad author Lucy Mason Jensen attended Let’s Taco ’Bout Dogs, hosted by Scheid Vineyards in Greenfield last Saturday. The April 24 event was an opportunity to learn more about SCAR, to try food from Tacos...

A little more than a week ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that not only would California effectively ban hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, by 2024, but the state also would work to phase out oil extraction entirely by 2045. “As we move to swiftly decarbonize our...

MISS RODEO SALINAS — Young ladies who are passionate about the western lifestyle and promoting the rodeo industry can run for the title of Miss California Rodeo Salinas and become an ambassador for the largest professional rodeo in the state. Entries for the 2021 contest...

GONZALES — Officer Manuel Puga was introduced as the newest member of Gonzales Police Department last month. Puga was sworn in by Chief of Police Keith Wise in a closed ceremony March 22. He began his first shift the next day. His field training officer...

NEW REC CENTER SOLEDAD — Soledad City Manager Brent Slama announced during the April 21 city council meeting that the city expects to have a “functioning community center” ready by June 15, with summer camps and programming being their first goal for the team under...

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a major step Tuesday toward coaxing Americans into a post-pandemic world, relaxing the rules on mask wearing outdoors as coronavirus cases recede and people increasingly chafe against restrictions. The mask guidance is modest and carefully...