Opinion

Brain health is a critical piece of our overall health. Our amazing (and still mysterious) brain underlies our ability to communicate, make decisions, problem-solve and live a productive and useful life. At Mee Memorial Healthcare System, we will observe the 10th annual World Brain Day...

Excuse me if I am a little maudlin this week. Lots of things happening and most of them are about where I am in life. Have you ever sat down to reflect on your position and what went right or wrong? I’m not a particularly...

I first saw him in the back pages of the Auto Shopper — yes, a car magazine. If you are an animal lover, you just cannot help yourself. You are always looking for the animals, whether or not you can actually accommodate said animals,...

Well, here is hoping your Fourth of July was a good one. Nobody got hurt or burned playing with legal or illegal fireworks. We used to buy a bunch of sparkling showers or whistles that could raise the dead from one or another nonprofit...

It’s kind of strange to start a column like that, but I have been struck with a book I have been reading and I haven’t even finished the first chapter. It’s called “Hillbilly Elegy,” by J.D. Vance. This is the guy the Republicans have...

To the Editor: This time last year I wrote to express my disappointment that the Rustler had not given the Ricky Graham Memorial Short Track Race any coverage; not one word, not one photo. You published my letter and in an Editor’s Note explained that you...

It has been a long time since we had a pig in the family. You read that correctly. Back in 2011, when my daughter was young, she raised an award-winning pig for the Salinas Valley Fair through the high school 4-H Club. For rookies...

As we gather during the holidays and bid farewell to another year under the shadow of the pandemic, I wanted to shine a light on all the good I see around me every day. As I close out my second year as Mee Memorial Healthcare...

Editor's Note: We welcome Letters to the Editor of local and general interest to our readers. Letters should be typed and include the writer’s first and last name, home address and phone number for verification. No anonymous letters will be printed. Letters may be edited...

This year, the Monterey County Needs Assessment Collaborative, a partnership of Monterey County hospitals, health organizations and community agencies, completed a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to determine the healthcare needs of residents. The 2025 findings identify diabetes as a persistent health issue in Monterey...