Local News

GONZALES — A Gonzales man was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of stabbing animals inside a school property in February 2023, Monterey County prosecutors said. Jose Jesse Marquez, 31, was handed a jail term of 19 years and...

SALINAS VALLEY — Mostafa Ghous has announced that he will be leaving his position as Dean of Academic Affairs and South County Education Services at Hartnell College effective July 7. In a heartfelt email distributed June 26, Ghous made the announcement with “mixed emotions,” adding...

SALINAS VALLEY — Northridge Mall, an iconic shopping destination in Salinas, marks its 50th anniversary with a momentous celebration this Sunday. To honor this significant milestone, the mall is hosting a free community event that offers a one-of-a-kind journey through the past five decades, an...

SOLEDAD — On the morning of June 18, Soledad Police detectives, with assistance from the Greenfield Police Department, Cal Fire, Monterey County Probation Department, California State Parole and members of the South Monterey County Task Force, served two simultaneous search warrants in the cities...

GREENFIELD — Volunteers from the American Red Cross of the Central Coast recently conducted “Sound the Alarm” home visits in Greenfield. In partnership with the Greenfield Fire Department, Red Cross teams installed 61 free smoke alarms and provided fire and earthquake preparedness education during the...

SALINAS — Rancho Cielo Youth Campus, along with educational partner John Muir Charter Schools, celebrated a significant milestone this month when 73 students received their high school diplomas, which makes it the largest graduating class — spanning all vocational programs — in its 24-year...

MONTEREY COUNTY — The County of Monterey’s Emergency Communications Department (ECD) operates the countywide consolidated emergency communications system for emergency and non-emergency call answering, as well as dispatch services for a majority of Monterey County. Recently, ECD has implemented new tools for reporting non-emergency information,...

SALINAS — The Salinas Juneteenth Celebration Association and Hartnell College have announced the fourth annual Salinas Juneteenth Celebration, set to take place Saturday, June 22, at the Hartnell College main campus. This year’s theme, “Participate in Our Freedom,” promises an enriching experience filled with live...

GONZALES — American Legion Post 81 and the American Legion Auxiliary of Gonzales hosted a Flag Day ceremony last Friday evening. Flag Day takes place every June 14 and is a day to pay respect to the U.S. flag and its history. A number of veterans,...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) bus driver Susana Rodriguez and her passenger/husband Isaac Godinez, who is also a bus driver for MCOE, were en route from Salinas to Soledad on a routine mail run May 22 when they came across...