Local News

SALINAS VALLEY — The spirit of Christmas was alive and well earlier this month at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City, as nearly 600 families from South Monterey County gathered for the annual Operation Santa event. Hosted by Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez and...

FREE PHONES SALINAS — Alliance on Aging (AOA) provides services and resources that address the challenges and opportunities for older adults in Monterey County, one of which is needing a cell phone for everyday activities. AOA is inviting seniors to come and get a free...

SOLEDAD — California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating the homicide of inmate Joseph Mendoza, which occurred on April 8 at Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) in Soledad. At about 5:39 p.m., staff observed inmates Edgar Frayre and Nicolas Young attacking Mendoza...

Ariana Mercado of Soledad was named to the University of Saint Mary Fall 2024 Dean’s List, which includes students who ended the semester with a 3.5 GPA or better. USM is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters...

SOCCER COMPLEX CLOSURE GREENFIELD — The Greenfield soccer complex will be temporarily closed for maintenance from Dec. 17 to Feb. 21. Maintenance includes reseeding, fertilizing and aerating, which will create even growth and repair grass during this period. For more information, contact the City of...

SOLEDAD — CRU Winery’s tasting room has been designated a Blue Zones Project Participating Organization — the first of its kind to join the health initiative in Monterey County. The acknowledgment recognizes CRU Winery for actively implementing lifestyle changes and environmental modifications to promote longevity...

TRUTH ACT HEARING MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County’s Truth Act hearing will be held Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 1:30 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 168 W. Alisal St., in Salinas. The local governing body of any California county or city, in which local...

SALINAS VALLEY — California Rodeo Salinas President Steve Davis recently unveiled the rodeo’s 2025 commemorative poster. The poster is unique, featuring a stockholder certificate as its background with a saddle bronc rider illustrated by Teal Blake in the center. Blake also painted the popular 2023...

CENTRAL COAST — More metallic balloons are sold for Valentine’s Day than any other holiday and, not surprisingly, it’s also around this time of year that Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) sees an uptick in outages caused by metallic balloons drifting into overhead power...

SOLEDAD — Community members and local officials gathered at Premiere Cinemas in Soledad earlier this month to celebrate the official groundbreaking of Reel Rock Brewery, an innovative new addition set to revitalize downtown. Hosted by Balesteri Construction Inc., in partnership with the King City and...