Local News

MONTEREY COUNTY — The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has caused an increased need for food assistance, as evidenced by continued long lines at food distributions throughout Monterey County. “The need increased earlier this year with the onset of Covid itself on the communities, but in terms...

NEW CHIEF KING CITY — King City Police Capt. Keith Boyd was sworn in as the city's interim police chief effective Jan. 4. Boyd is filling in for Robert Masterson, who left after more than three years at the helm of the department. Masterson will...

SOLEDAD — A 4.3 magnitude earthquake struck just north of the Pinnacles National Park near Soledad on Saturday morning. The earthquake was reported at 6:42 a.m. and was preceded by a 3.2 magnitude quake at 6:36 a.m. in the same area, according to the latest...

GONZALES — Gonzales Youth Commissioners Magaly Santos and Aidan Cervantes recently announced that 16 youth have been selected to serve on the 2020-21 Gonzales Youth Council. The new youth council members are: seniors Alexa Hernandez, Lorena Flores and Carolina Perez; juniors Yanira Ruacho, Julissa Aldaco,...

SALINAS VALLEY — Mee Memorial Healthcare System received its allocation of 500 doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine on Dec. 22, with priority vaccinations of frontline workers beginning that same day. The vaccines were delivered to Mee Memorial Hospital in King City at 11:30 a.m....

GONZALES — Among the new books that have come into the library system this year was a copy of “The Gunner and the Grunt” by Michael Kelley and Peter Burbank, which arrived at the Gonzales Library in October. The book tells the story of two...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County’s Environmental Health Bureau has conducted 1,971 visits to area businesses since September, which resulted in 12 citations for violations of Covid-related health orders and one permit revocation. Ricardo Encarnacion, assistant bureau chief for the Environmental Health Bureau, made the announcement...

TOP SCHOLARS SOLEDAD — Joselyn Quezada and Liliana Negrete entered a virtual science fair competition, the Healthy Habits Virtual Science Fair, this past summer and were chosen as runner-ups among the thousands of entries on Nov. 2. The fair was hosted by Legends of Learning...

GONZALES — The first-ever Traveling Holiday Lights Parade cruised along Fifth Street in Gonzales last Saturday. Vehicles covered in lights and decorations traveled throughout the city’s neighborhoods to spread some holiday cheer. More than 20 vehicles participated in the Dec. 19 parade.

TREE RECYCLING SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley residents are being reminded by Waste Management that Christmas trees can either be recycled curbside if cut to fit within the green waste cart with the lid closed on the regularly scheduled collection day, or dropped off for...