Local News

UNITED STATES — States have continued steadily lifting restrictions, despite warnings from top federal health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci that new coronavirus cases in the United States have plateaued at a very high level after their drastic drop has stalled and that the...

BIG SUR — Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has lifted and modified evacuation warnings and orders for the Willow Fire, effective 5 p.m. Thursday. The wildfire, located southeast of Big Sur in Los Padres National Forest’s Ventana Wilderness, has burned at least 2,877 acres and is...

CENTRAL COAST — Local hospitals are urging community members to donate blood during a series of multi-day drives this month, as January typically brings a drop in donations due to winter weather, seasonal illnesses and fewer workplace and school drives. “The start of the year...

KING CITY — Monterey County Dance Theatre (MCDT) along with Monterey County Dance Foundation have announced the young lady who will dance the lead role in the 2022 production of “The Nutcracker Ballet.” Kali Jimenez of Soledad will play Clara in the upcoming show, scheduled...

KING CITY — Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) has recognized three South Monterey County school employees, including two from King City, for their outstanding teaching skills. Tiffany Lewis and Milton Hambly, both teachers in the King City Union School District, and Araceli Godinez, instructional...

SALINAS VALLEY — The regular candidate filing period for the Nov. 5 General Election has closed. However, the filing period for multiple local offices, in which an eligible incumbent did not file, has been extended until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14.  Offices in the...

KING CITY — Eighth-grade students at Chalone Peaks Middle School were promoted last week with a virtual ceremony and in-person caravan drive around town. The June 10 ceremony, complete with speeches, was streamed live online, meanwhile students rode as passengers in their family vehicles, starting...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Many residents have never heard of a Civil Grand Jury, or if they have, they know little about its purpose. In California, a Civil Grand Jury is required in each of the 58 counties. Looking for effectiveness and efficiency, Civil Grand jurors...

SALINAS VALLEY — A secret garden named Lesnini Field has been created along the Salinas River in South Monterey County to showcase art and to emphasize discovery. Created by California-based visual artist and writer Erik Bakke and Dutch visual artist and educator Andre Dekker in...

MONTEREY COUNTY — U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced that Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) will receive approximately $450,000 in federal support for research into new tools and approaches to improve the transit rider experience. The funding from FTA’s Enhancing Mobility Innovation (EMI)...