Local News

$33.2M broadband grants approved for Central Coast expansion CENTRAL COAST — California Public Utilities Commission has approved up to $33.2 million in grants to expand high-speed internet access across the Central Coast, including nearly 1,300 locations in five counties. The funding will support two Surfnet Communications...

SOLEDAD — Eight custody staff members at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad were treated at a medical facility after falling ill Friday afternoon in the prison’s Facility C visiting area, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. At about 4:41 p.m. on...

SALINAS — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has informed Salinas-based Taylor Farms that a laboratory test indicating one of the company’s iceberg lettuce products from central Mexico was contaminated with cyclospora was a false positive, according to the company and an updated FDA...

CENTRAL COAST — Broccoli and other brassica growers along California’s Central Coast are bracing for another devastating season of infestations of the diamondback moth, but state regulators appear in no hurry to approve a new federally registered insecticide that could alleviate the damage. The moth’s...

SALINAS VALLEY — Taylor Farms has awarded scholarships to 32 new recipients through its 2026 annual scholarship program, distributing $575,000 in higher education assistance to employees and their children. According to the company, the latest awards bring the total amount of scholarship funding distributed since...

CENTRAL COAST — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is warning customers about a new variation of a utility scam that uses barcodes and QR codes to collect fraudulent payments, as reported scam losses continue to rise across the Central Coast and statewide. Nearly 150...

KING CITY — The inaugural Valley Heritage Firecracker Court crowned its first royalty this month, launching what organizers hope will become a long-standing King City tradition that celebrates local youth while supporting community events. Created through a partnership between the King City Chamber of Commerce...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Sheriff's Office Jail ADA Coordinator Louie Pereira has been appointed to the National Corrections ADA Coordinator Information Sharing Group Steering Committee, a national leadership panel focused on improving accessibility and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance in correctional facilities. Pereira was...

California Rodeo adds Legacy Team Roping event SALINAS — California Rodeo Salinas will make history this year by becoming the first Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned rodeo in the nation to host a Legacy Team Roping competition. Modeled after the Legacy Steer Roping event, the new competition...

KING CITY — A King City teacher has been recognized for her commitment to students and mentorship of future educators as part of the inaugural Student Success Coach Learning Network Education Impact Awards. Tressa Luke, the resource support program teacher at Del Rey Elementary School...