59.5 F
Salinas
January 15, 2026

Navy veteran returns to Greenfield to speak with youth

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 ā€œGilā€ Acosta was...

SPCA Monterey County advises caution when driving to avoid deer during mating season

MONTEREY COUNTY — SPCA Monterey County advises drivers to use extreme caution when driving to avoid hitting deer on area roadways this time of year.Ā  Fall is deer mating season on the Central Coast and deer are significantly more likely to be on the move...

Application deadline nears for McDonald’s Golden Grants Program

CENTRAL COAST — Applications will close Nov. 30 for the 2023 McDonald’s Golden Grants program benefitting education and nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area, Eureka, Salinas-Monterey and the Central Coast that better the lives of children ages 5 through 18 sharing $40,000 throughout...

Monterey County Sheriff’s Office details military equipment use

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors gave preliminary approval Nov. 7 for an updated military equipment use policy from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and received a report on the use of such equipment in part of 2022. The Sheriff’s Office reported 33...

Soledad service dog wins award for providing comfort to Army veteran

SOLEDAD — After spending 17 years in the U.S. Army, military life was all Ramon Reyes knew. But when he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury from events that occurred in Iraq, his military career was cut short —...

State awards $10M to Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency for groundwater monitoring, outreach

SALINAS VALLEY — California Department of Water Resources has awarded more than $10 million in funding to the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) through the Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Grant Program to support implementation of SVBGSA’s state-mandated groundwater sustainability plans in four...

Chavez resigns from Soledad City Council due to move

SOLEDAD — Soledad City Councilmember Alejandro Chavez has resigned from his position effective Oct. 31 after 13 years of service. Chavez and his wife Erica Padilla-Chavez, who also resigned after 14 years as a trustee from the Hartnell College Governing Board, will be moving out...

TAMC receives $640K grant for Monterey County Regional Vision Zero Plan

MONTEREY COUNTY — Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) announced that U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta has secured $640,000 in federal funding for TAMC to develop a Monterey County Regional Vision Zero Plan. The Monterey County Regional Vision Zero Plan will be a comprehensive county-wide safety...

96-year-old Salinas veteran to be honored on Veterans Day

SALINAS — When reflecting upon his life, 96-year-old Cirilo Vargas looks back at a career with many milestones and memories.  A Salinas native and 1st Master Sergeant E8 in the U.S. Army, Vargas served twice in both the Korean War and Vietnam War. After his...

Applications due Friday for Monterey County film scholarship program

MONTEREY COUNTY — Applications are now being accepted for the Monterey County Film Commission’s Director Emeritus Richard Tyler Film Student Scholarship Award Program, the deadline of which to apply online is Nov. 10. This year the program plans to award students up to $2,000 in...

Local News

Community Arts Grants recipients

Arts Council for Monterey County announces latest Community Arts Grant recipients

MONTEREY COUNTY — Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC) has announced the awardees of its Fall 2025 Community Arts Grants, allocating $130,000 to 25...