KRKC COUNTRY

There are a few major scheduled road and lane closures for South Monterey County going on this week from Sunday, April 28 through Saturday, May 4 that motorists should be aware of that include: Highway 101: Hudson Road – Harden Farms Road: April 30 – May 2 One lane will be closed along the northbound lane of Highway 101 between Hudson Road and Harden Farms Road from April 30 until May 2 for shoulder work taking place from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Highway 101: Camp Roberts Rest Area – San Antonio River Bridge: April 30 – May 3 Daytime lane closures are in place along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between the Camp Roberts Rest Area and the San Antonio River Bridge from April 30 until May 3 due to bridge inspection work from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Please keep in mind that all of this road construction work is weather-dependent.

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Tuesday, April 30 that 31-year-old Vincente Perez of King City was sentenced to 3 years in the Monterey County jail pursuant to PC 1170(h) for driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher with 3 prior DUI convictions. The defendant will serve 1 year in the Monterey County Jail and 2 years on Mandatory Supervision. On March 18, 2019, California Highway Patrol officers observed a dark colored sedan cross over a broken white line separating the #1 and #2 lanes and then veer back into the #2 lane. The CHP initiated an enforcement stop on the vehicle. While making contact with Perez, officers observed an opened beer can behind the passenger seat and an unopened beer can in the center console. A driver history check showed that Perez' license was suspended with prior DUI convictions in 2009, 2013 and 2015. As officers continued to speak with Perez they could smell a strong odor of alcohol emi

A 68-year-old Alameda man has been killed in a 1 vehicle rollover crash on Highway 101 north of Wildhorse and south of the King City city limits on Tuesday morning, April 30. According to CHP Officer Mike Rigby, the accident took place sometime after 10:30 am as the the man was driving on US 101 north of Wildhorse Road when for unknown reasons, he made an unsafe turn into the median. The driver continued to head north in the median, crossing into the northbound lanes of 101 and the vehicle then overturned multiple times before coming to rest on its roof. The driver died at the scene. It does not appear that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the accident.

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Monday, April 29 that on Friday, April 26 Judge Pamela Butler sentenced 26-year-old Jacob Thomas Kirkendall of Santa Cruz to 14 years of felony probation with the first year of which he'll serve in a locked mental health facility for attempting to shoot and kill a fireman in December of 2017 in South Monterey County. Kirkendall’s status in the locked facility will remain subject to periodic review by Judge Butler with input from the medical professionals at the facility and Monterey County Probation. On the evening of December 11 of 2017, Kirkendall recklessly drove his red truck around Peter Harris on Nacimiento-Ferguson Road. Harris was driving home in his U.S. Department of Forestry Ford Explorer. As a Division Fire Chief, he had just completed his shift working the Ventana fire near Big Sur. Immediately after driving past him, Kirkendall parked his truck diagonally across the road, blocking the entire roa

A man was caught and busted after leading Monterey County Sheriff's deputies and police officers on a high-speed chase near Soledad on Sunday morning, April 28. The chase began when a Monterey County Sheriff's Deputy located a stolen Mercedes driving southbound on Highway 101. As he waited for more deputies to respond, the driver took off, while the patrol car was following him. The driver led the deputy on a chase that reached speeds up to 130 miles per hour on Foothill Road. Another deputy deployed spike strips that disabled the tires on the Mercedes. The driver crashed into a drainage ditch, striking a fence on Foletta Road. Multiple deputies were involved as well as police officers from Greenfield and Soledad. Bryan Hanamoto, who also had a felony arrest warrant, was arrested and taken into custody.

A listening session hosted by District 3 Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez and King City Mayor Mike Lebarre brought in over 20 people asking questions and addressing some community concerns at the King City Library on Wednesday night, April 24. People in attendance asked questions and brought up concerns about how Parks are run in King City, how they'd like to see more work done on Jolon Road, how the cost of housing in the area continues to increase, how they'd like to see an assisted living facility in King City constructed and have more activities in King City for people to participate in such as swimming, bowling and ice skating. There was also a resident from the Parkfield area addressing Supervisor Lopez about how she'd like to see a new Library built in Parkfield and Bradley. Supervisor Lopez also indicated that he and a number of other people in South Monterey County are to trying to make a push to have a Courthouse built in Greenfield. The next listening ses

At the King City City Council meeting on Tuesday night, April 23 at City Hall resident Frank Lopez from Frank's Gardening Service in King City was presented with a Mayor's Commendation award from Mayor Mike Lebarre for everything he has done for the community. In other business, the Council introduced and passed the 1st reading of an Ordinance pertaining to the regulation of condominium conversion and the construction of new condominiums. The Council also introduced and waived the 1st reading of an Ordinance pertaining to the payment of development mitigation impact fees. In addition, the Council also approved unanimously to adopt a resolution amending the master fee schedule to increase the Cannabis permit issuance and renewal fee along with other updates. 

Over 30 people attended a Historic Kings Station Train Depot Mural Dedication Ceremony put on by King City In Bloom off of 1st and Broadway in King City on Tuesday, April 23. Funding for the mural was made possible by donors and the Arts Council for Monterey County. Artist Jennifer Beebe-Hargrove who lives in San San Diego and grew up in King City painted the mural in 3 weeks. King City In Bloom is hoping to unveil an Ag Tribute Mural sometime this summer.

The Greenfield Fire Department along with the Greenfield Police Department, CAL FIRE BEU, Monterey County Ambulance and the CHP in King City responded to a 1 vehicle injury accident on Highway 101 Southbound near Hudson sometime on Tuesday morning, April 23. Aid was provided to all involved and a number of people were transported to a nearby trauma center by ambulance.

Major scheduled road and lane closures for South Monterey County are going on during the week of April 21 that include: Highway 101: Soledad – San Benito County Line: April 23 – April 26 A moving lane closure that will occur from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm along Highway 101 between Underwood Road in Soledad and the San Benito County line for vegetation spraying. Highway 101: Camp Roberts – South Camp Roberts: April 22 – April 26 Long term pavement work is taking place along the shoulders of southbound Highway 101 between Camp Roberts and South Camp Roberts from 8 am until 4 pm. Please keep in mind that construction work is weather-dependent.

On Monday night, April 22 at around 6:05 pm officers responded to the 300 Block of Lynn Street in King City about a robbery. The investigation revealed that the victim was assaulted while at an apartment complex in that area and items were stolen from her by force. The suspect was identified as 35-year-old Chrystal Mata by the victim. Items stolen were later recovered and returned to her. Anyone with further information regarding this case is encouraged to call the King City Police Department at (831) 386-5980 or the WeTip line at 1-800-78-CRIME.  Your call may remain completely anonymous. The investigation is continuing.

San Luis Obispo City employee Chris Olcott has been placed on leave after recently being sentenced to assaulting 2 people at Mr.Rick’s in Avila Beach on May 28, 2016. San Luis Obispo City Manager Derek Anderson said on Tuesday, April 16 that Olcott will be placed on leave as the City investigates. Olcott was sentenced to 60 days in the San Luis Obispo County Jail and ordered to take alcohol addiction classes. Olcott will turn himself in on May 20, 2019.

An ATV accidentally hit a child as it was traveling South on Arroyo Seco Road Northwest of Greenfield on Wednesday, April 17. According to CHP Officer Michael Rigby, the accident happened at around 11:30 am on private property off of Arroyo Seco Road South and Carmel Valley Road as a 43-year-old Greenfield man had placed a 2-year-old boy on his lap while he prepared to operate a 2005 Suzuki Osuko ATV. A 4-year-old boy stood in front of the ATV as the man started the engine. The man allowed the ATV to jerk forward and collide with the 4-year-old boy and the man ended up losing control of the ATV as it continued in a southerly direction down a descending grass and dirt embankment.  The man and the 2-year-old boy were ejected from ATV and had to be transported by helicopter to a Bay area Hospital along with the 4-year-old boy to be treated for their injuries which are considered major to moderate. The cause of the accident is unknown.

A stabbing incident occurred sometime before 9 pm on Saturday night, April 13, 2019 in the courtyard area of the Presidio Apartments, located at 3200 Spring Street in Paso Robles. The victim was transported to Sierra Vista Medical Center with a non-life threatening injury. Officers learned the victim was drinking with friends in the courtyard, when the group was approached by 29-year-old Asiv Mellin of Paso Robles. An altercation broke out and Mellin stabbed the victim once in the back before fleeing in a light-colored Chevy Silverado. Mellin later turned himself in at the Paso Robles Police Department. Officers arrested him on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon and booked him in the San Luis Obispo County Jail. Mellin remains in custody with his bail set at $25,000. If anyone has information regarding this incident they are encouraged to call the Paso Robles Police Department at 805-237-6464.

A stabbing incident occurred sometime before 9 pm on Saturday night, April 13 in the courtyard area of the Presidio Apartments located at 3200 Spring Street in Paso Robles. The victim was transported to Sierra Vista Medical Center with a non-life threatening injury. Officers learned that the victim was drinking with friends in the courtyard, when the group was approached by 29-year-old Asiv Mellin of Paso Robles. An altercation broke out and Mellin stabbed the victim once in the back before fleeing in a light-colored Chevy Silverado with a matching tonneau cover. Mellin is described as a Hispanic male adult, who is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Mellin was last seen wearing blue jeans, a grey sweatshirt, white shoes and a green hat. If anyone has information regarding this incident, they are encouraged to call the Paso Robles Police Department at 805-237-6464.

If you like to explore caves there's good news as employees at Pinnacles National Park announced on Sunday, April 14 that Balconies Cave is now open after being closed off to visitors for several months because of rock fall and flooding that occurred in that area. Park officials are reminding visitors though to use caution when hiking in either of their caves, bring a flashlight and stay on established trails. For questions and more information, contact Pinnacles National Park at (831) 389-4485.

According to Greenfield Fire Chief Jim Langborg, a 1 vehicle rollover took place sometime after 1 pm on Sunday afternoon, April 14 off of 13th and Apple a few miles west of Greenfield, while another 1 vehicle rollover happened at around 8:20 am on Monday morning, April 15 off of Metz Road and Elm a couple of miles south of Greenfield. The Greenfield Fire Department along with Pine Canyon Fire Department and the CHP were on site to assist. No one was injured both of the solo vehicle accidents.

There will be more major scheduled road and lane closures for South Monterey County going on from Sunday, April 14 through Saturday, April 20 that include: Highway 101: Camp Roberts: April 15 – April 16 Traffic breaks will occur on the northbound and southbound onramps and offramps at Highway 101 and Camp Roberts due to striping operations from 8 am to 4 pm. Highway 101: Camp Roberts – Soledad: April 15 – April 19 There will be a lane closure along southbound Highway 101 between Camp Roberts and Soledad for pavement work from 7 am to 2 pm. Highway 101: Broadway Street – Jolon Road: April 16 – April 17 One lane closure will be in place on northbound Highway 101 between Broadway Street in King City to Jolon Road for bridge work from 8 am to 3 pm. Please keep in mind that all of this work is weather-dependent.

The Greenfield Public Works Department wants residents to be aware that the roads on Elm Avenue between 13th and 12th streets will be closed off this Saturday April 13 through Sunday April 14.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office reported on Wednesday, April 10 that they received a report during the week of March 31 of a disabled female who had been sexually assaulted in South Monterey County. The Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division learned that the victim in this case had been sexually assaulted by an acquaintance. The suspect has been identified as 60-year-old Roberto Cabrel Salazar, of Delhi, CA. Salazar was a previously a deported felon and unregistered sex offender. On Tuesday, April 9, investigators traveled to the City of Delhi, in Merced County where Salazar resides. A surveillance was conducted at Salazar’s residence with the assistance of the Merced County Sheriff’s Office. Salazar was observed at the residence. Salazar was contacted and arrested without incident. Salazar was interviewed and at the conclusion of the interview was driven back to Monterey County. Salazar was booked into the Monterey County Jail on numerous sexual offenses related to his co

On April 11 & 12, P,G & E contract crews will be working in Monterey County to conduct accelerated wildfire safety inspections of substations using helicopters. The helicopter inspections will complement and further enhance visual inspections by gathering information from the substations by capturing LiDAR data and photographs to determine if any repairs are needed. These inspections are are part of the company's wildfire safety efforts that were implemented following the 2017 and 2018 wildfires as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce wildfire risks. The helicopters will fly over substations in Monterey, Carmel, Carmel Valley, Salinas and King City. Depending on clear weather conditions the helicopters will be flying over the substations between 10 am and 4 pm at an altitude from the ground at no lower than 250 feet for 10 minutes or less. All of the helicopters will follow all of the safety standards  and FAA regulations. For questions and more in

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Wednesday, April 10 that to ensure a fair playing field for lawful cannabis growers, her office has settled a civil cannabis enforcement case against 47-year-old Justin Gregory Donnelly of Big Sur. On September 21, 2017, a search warrant was executed on Donnelly’s property located on Argyle Road in South Monterey County near King City which revealed an unlawful cannabis cultivation operation. Donnelly did not have any state or county licenses or permits to grow cannabis on his property. 1,044 plants were seized and destroyed. On April 2, 2019, Monterey County Superior Court Judge Marla O. Anderson approved and ordered the Final Judgment and Injunction Pursuant to Stipulation, which includes a 5 year injunction prohibiting Donnelly from cultivating cannabis without all proper state and county licenses and permits, a $94,961.29 civil penalty, and $5,038.71 in investigative costs. This case was investigated by the Monter

A dedication ceremony took place in front of King City City Hall on Tuesday night, April 9 for a new 2019 Elgin Pelican Street Sweeper that was recently purchased by the city for around $220,000. At the regular King City City Council meeting at City Hall, the Council approved the introduction of an Ordinance pertaining to Commercial Cannabis Activity, Manufacturing Permits, Cannabis Activity Limitations and Cannabis Deliveries within the City of King. The Council also approved to direct staff to improve the process of issuing work permits for cannabis business employees. In addition, the Council also accepted a contract presented for a Conceptual Design project of the Downtown Plaza and that the City Manager execute a professional services agreement with RRM Design Group to prepare work for the project that will not exceed $50,000 and that any changes that may be made must be approved by the City Attorney. 

Carl's Jr. Restaurant off of Walnut Avenue at the Thee Vines Shopping Center in Greenfield is now open. Franchise Owner Gary Vick said that he and his staff are excited to be operating a new restaurant in South Monterey County that has been in the works for over 2 years. Carl's Jr now has Restaurants in South Monterey County based in King City, Soledad and in Greenfield. The hours of the Carl's Jr. on Greenfield will be Sunday through Thursday from 6:30 am to 11 pm and from 6:30 am to midnight on Friday and Saturday.

The Monterey County Dance Theatre Foundation will be putting on the Nightingale Ballet in King City at 7:30 pm on Friday night, April 12 and Saturday night, April 13 at the Robert Stanton Auditorium. There will also be a matinee performance on Sunday, April 14 at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $10 person for General admission and reserved seating is $20 per person. The money brought in will go towards the Monterey County Dance Theatre Foundation. For tickets, contact Choreographer Jan Harkness at 831-261-2981

MONTEREY COUNTY – There will be some scheduled road and lane closures for Monterey County during the week of April 7, 2019 that include alternating lane closures that will occur on Highway 101 at East Garrison and Camp Roberts for shoulder work on Monday, April 8 until Friday, April 12 from 6am to 4pm. Please keep in mind that this work is weather-dependent.

A lot of people had so much fun in the Orradre Building at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds on Friday evening, April 5 to support the 5th annual Casino night fundraiser for the Rancho Cielo Youth Campus. Organizer Candy Depauw was impressed with the turnout and indicated that the fundraiser brought in over $30,000. Current Rancho Cielo student Julian Lopez who will graduate in June of 2019 also addressed people at the event to talk about how much Rancho Cielo has changed his life.

The Templeton CHP reported on Friday, April 5 that 40-year-old Richard Gonzalez of Creston who they believed caused a felony hit and run accident on Wednesday morning, April 3 on Highway 101 Northbound near Traffic Way in Atascadero that injured 48-year-old Richard Jennings of Atascadero turned himself in. Gonzales came to their office and reported that his pickup truck had been stolen and completed a stolen vehicle report. The entire collision and stolen vehicle portion are all under investigation.

At the King City Chamber Luncheon on Thursday, April 4 in the Los Padres National Forest Conference room recycling was a huge topic of discussion. Recycling Coordinator Janna Faulk from Salinas Valley Recycles provided information that businesses should be aware regarding what kind of changes that are about to take place with organics recycling. Waste Management Public Sector Manager Kristin Skromme provided tips about what people should and should not put in their recycle bin.

A teenager recently was brutally attacked in Greenfield and all of it was recorded on video. According to the the teen’s mom, the attack occurred at Vista Verde Middle School. The mom stated that she pulled her son from school after seeing the video which shows 2 boys walking side by side on campus, when 1 boy shoves the boy next to him and tackles him to the ground. The boy’s mother said that she found out about the video when a police officer came to her home to investigate. The mother said that the boy was left with bruises after the attack and also indicated that there was no nurse on campus the day of the attack. She also feels the person she says attacked her son has not received the proper discipline. However, she said the district gave the boy in house suspension, but she wants more action taken. She will not send her son back to school until that happens. KRKC and KC102 tried to reach out to District Superintendent Brian Walker for comment, but we were unable to get in tou

On Thursday, April 4 at around 6 am, the Major Crimes Unit with assistance from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the Monterey County DA’s Office Bureau of Investigations, the Monterey Peninsula Regional Special Response Team, the Peninsula Regional Violence & Narcotics Team, the California Department of Justice- Bureau of Firearms, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Highway Patrol Aviation Support Unit and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation- Investigative Services Unit served search warrants on the 400 block of Reservation Road in Marina, the 200 block of South Vanderhurst in King City, the 600 block of Bishop Street in King City and the 100 block of River Road in King City which led to the arrest of 22-year Gustavo Garcia who law enforcement believes is connected to the January 13, 2019 murder of 19-year-old Charles Adolfo Jose in Greenfield. Also arrested was 21-year-old Angelica Quinonez Giovannini. The charges listed were fo

KING CITY, CA— There’s still time to enter most Salinas Valley Fair competitions. Once again, Salinas Valley Fair officials extended their deadline for all non-livestock entries to Friday, April 19th. There is a catch – you have to enter using the fair’s online entry system! The fair first started tracking entries with a computer database in 1977 when they hired the Bates-Bowers company to manage all of the data received from the paper entry forms.  Cutting edge for the time.  Now, nearly  thirty-five years later, the fair has a partnership with a web based entry system that allows for exhibitors to directly input their entries to the database.   The computerized efficiencies allows the fair to manage over 8,000 entries with half the number of staff. Hundreds of people have made the switch to entering their crafts, jams, photography, school projects and quilts using the fair’s website.  When using the website to enter projects, remember to have your credit card handy and know the com

The Templeton CHP is looking for information regarding a hit and run incident that occurred sometime after 9 am on Wednesday morning, April 3 on Highway 101 Northbound near Traffic Way in Atascadero. The accident injured 48-year driver Richard Jennings of Atascadero who was driving a tan Toyota Tacoma that was struck by a Ford F-150 driven by 40-year-old Richard Gonzales of Creston. Jennings drove his tan Toyota Tacoma northbound on US 101 in the #3 lane at a speed of 50 mph and was going to exit at Traffic Way. However, a white Ford F-150 made an unsafe lane change into the #3 lane and into the right side of the Toyota Tacoma which veered out of control off the freeway, went through a perimeter fence striking a large oak tree, finally coming to rest in the Denny's parking lot on El Camino Real in Atascadero. Witnesses saw the driver of the F-150 pull over on the Traffic way off ramp and exit the pickup. He took all the vehicle's paperwork out of the glove box and fled off th

Salinas Valley Fair CEO TJ Plew spoke at the Southern Monterey County Republican Women Federated regular meeting luncheon at Lawrence's Restaurant in King City on Tuesday, April 2. This year's upcoming 75th annual Salinas Valley Fair will be taking place from May 16 to May 19. Plew went over the history of the Salinas Valley Fair, but more importantly what they're working on at the Fair going into 2020 that includes adding another building and upgrading the expo by creating more of a community recreation facility.

(Sacramento) - On Tuesday, April 2, Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) joined with Dolores Huerta, UFW President Teresa Romero and Senators Caballero, Durazo and Wiener to announce AB 1783, the Farmworker Housing Act of 2019. AB 1783 creates a streamlined process to build farmworker housing on agricultural land, sets quality standards to ensure that the new housing is dignified and family friendly, and puts safeguards in place to protect the environment. “We have a humanitarian crisis in our farmworker communities,” explained Assemblymember Rivas. “In rural Monterey County, in my district, one in ten students are homeless. We have 12 schools where that number is one in five. And at Sherwood Elementary in Salinas, that number is nearly 40%.” California’s housing shortage isn’t just an urban problem; it affects rural areas, too. This is particularly true for our agricultural communities and that’s borne out of a shortage of farmworker housing. Now the shortage is impacting

A small grass fire sparked on the east side of Metz Road a few miles Northeast of the King City city limits a little before 12 pm on Monday, April 1. The Cal Fire Monterey-San Benito unit knocked down the fire sometime between 12 pm and 1 pm. The blaze burned less than one-tenth of an acre and did not threaten any structures. The CHP was also on site to assist with traffic control. No one was injured and the cause of the flare up is unknown.

On Monday night, April 1 at approximately 9:30 pm, Paso Robles Police officers responded to the 2700 block of Spring Street for a reported vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision. Upon arrival, officers located the victim injured in the roadway. The victim had numerous cuts and abrasions. Through the initial investigation, it was determined that the incident started at Rite Aide on 2424 Spring Street. The victim was working for Ride Aide as a Loss Prevention Agent. The victim said he noticed a white male adult leave the store without paying for several items. When the loss prevention officer went to contact the shoplifting suspect, the suspect ran to the parking lot and got into a white colored pickup truck and drove out of the parking lot at a high rate of speed with the loss prevention officer still holding onto the vehicle. The vehicle continued north bound on Spring Street where the loss prevention officer eventually was unable to maintain a grip on the vehicle and fell into

A vehicle overturned into an ag field off of Highway 101 Southbound past the Wildhorse Road exit about 3 to 4 miles south of the King City city limits on Monday afternoon, April 1 at around 4:30 pm. The CHP states that the vehicle possibly hit an irrigation pipe. There were no reports of any major injuries picked up from the driver or from anyone else who may have been in the vehicle.

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County reports that there will be night time road and lane closures drivers should be aware of if they have plans to travel on Highway 101 in South Monterey County. Various night time ramp and lane closures will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between the San Luis Obispo County Line and King City for sign work during the evening from 9 pm to 6 am from March 31 to April 2. Traffic breaks will also occur on northbound and southbound Highway 101 at Teague Avenue in Soledad for utility work from 10 pm to 6:30 am from March 31 to April 1.

PASO ROBLES, CA – On Friday, March 29 at approximately 1:19 pm, officers from the Paso Robles Police Department received a report of a pedestrian that was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Spring Street and 21st Street. Officers from the Paso Robles Police Department, along with personnel from the Paso Robles Department of Emergency Services and San Luis Ambulance responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they found a 48-year-old female victim lying on the roadway. The victim was conscious and speaking with emergency personnel. Eventually, the victim was transported to Sierra Vista Hospital with moderate injuries. A 68-year-old female driver of the vehicle was uninjured and fully cooperated with the investigation. A preliminary investigation indicates that the vehicle was traveling southbound on Spring Street and approaching 21st Street. The victim entered the roadway into the crosswalk and was struck by the vehicle as it traveled southbound. Neither alcohol nor speeding appeare