KRKC COUNTRY

On Sunday, June 30 around 11:40 am the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office received a call about a possible drowning at Lake Nacimiento in an area known as Sandy Point. Deputies responded to the location as well as members of the Sheriff's Dive Team. Witnesses reported seeing a man swimming in the area and then go under the water. Dive Team members located the victim in 15 feet of water at 2:10 PM. The man has been identified as 44-year-old Armando Loa Ramos of King City. Next of kin have been notified. The investigation is continuing. No further information is available at this time.

SALINAS, CA – On Friday, June 28, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) released the following statement on the passage of H.R. 3401, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act: "During my recent visit to detention centers, facilities, and nonprofits in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, I saw first-hand the overwhelming and under-resourced situation on our southern border.  Based on that evidence, I called for legislation for increased and immediate humanitarian aid for the numerous asylum seeking children, families, and adults who are now in our custody after fleeing violence, crime, and poverty in Central America.  "Despite the appalling consequences of this administration’s policies and its failure to provide adequate assistance to address the issues pertaining to those in custody at our border, Congress needed to act as soon as possible.  Without any action or with any delay in action

After a year and a half on the job Greenfield Police Chief Denise Oglesby has been placed on administrative leave. The chief was put on leave over 4 weeks ago with no indication of when, or if, she’ll return to her position. The department which currently has 23 sworn officers is now being run by interim police chief James Hunt who is a captain on the force. Hunt said the decision to put Oglesby on leave is a personnel decision and no further details would be released. Chief Oglesby was sworn in as Greenfield’s police chief on December 20, 2017. She retired from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department after serving 34 years on that force. No internal affairs investigation has been launched against the chief which seems to indicate that the decision to put Oglesby on leave has nothing to do with her job performance but rather something that may have occurred outside her duties as police chief. It’s also unknown whether the chief is on paid or unpaid leave. Chief Oglesby is an at-w

Neil Kitchens, the 2018 Republican candidate for Assembly District 30, entered a not guilty plea in court, Thursday, June 27. Kitchens is facing 2 counts of voter registration fraud and 3 counts of procuring and offering a false or forged instrument. The maximum penalty is 3 years and 8 months in prison. The Monterey County District Attorney's Office reports that the charges come from 2 actions taken by Kitchens in March of 2018 where Kitchens registered to vote on March 8 using an address in Salinas. However, while Kitchens owns the property, the DA's office says that Kitchens does not live there. Instead, he rents out the property. Salinas is in the AD 30 district boundaries, but Prunedale, where the DA's office accuses Kitchens of actually living, is not. The second alleged action is from March 20 where the DA's office says Kitchens filed to run for AD 30 using the Salinas address. The findings came through an investigation by the California Secretary of Stat

On Friday, June 28 at around 10 am officers responded to 720 Broadway at King City High School for a report of vandalism which occurred overnight. The ensuing investigation revealed that the unknown person(s) between the hours of 9:30 & 10:00 PM on Thursday night, June 27 broke out windows to several different classrooms on the school campus. School District staff value the losses at approx. $3,000.00. In reviewing surveillance cameras in the area officers developed 2 persons of interest in this investigation. Anyone with further information regarding this case is encouraged to call the King City Police Department at (831) 386-5980; Officer Juan Rodriguez at (831) 386-5978 or the WeTip line at 1-800-78-CRIME.

The last day of the Forbes Agtech Summit wrapped up in Salinas on Thursday, June 27. A number of awards were handed out, several CEOs of companies talked about new innovations they're working on such as Western Growers who announced the launch its new Supply Chain Risk Management Solution which is a program that is looking to reduce the number of food contamination outbreaks and improve food safety along with keeping consumers safe, while the Keynote speaker to close out the event was US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue who was impressed with what people are working on. Livestock Water Recycling was named the recipient of the 2019 THRIVE-Forbes Innovation Icon Award at the Forbes AgTech Summit in Salinas on Thursday, June 27 receiving a $200,000 investment from SVG Ventures along with an advertisement in an upcoming issue of Forbes magazine and they'll be provided the opportunity to give a presentation at Forbes’ Under 30 Summit in October. Livestock Water Recycling is b

(SACRAMENTO) – On Friday, June 28, Governor Gavin Newsom signed budget legislation approving $5 million in the State Budget for the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex. The approval is a result of collaboration between Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) and Senator Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) in which they requested the funding to further this project in Monterey County. “This investment will go a long way in helping to foster health and vibrant local small businesses. A soccer complex of this size has the potential to draw large tournaments, bringing extensive economic benefits to the surrounding area. Spanning more than a decade, this project has been the result of the hard work and efforts of dedicated community members, business leaders, and elected officials coming together to create something special in Salinas,” said Rivas. “It is important that our community has safe, affordable recreational areas and activities,” added Rivas. “As Monterey County makes strides with hea

On Thursday, June 27, Governor Newsom signed the Golden State Teacher Grant Program into law and funded it with $89 million in the state budget. The program, proposed by Assemblymember Robert Rivas and Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, delivers grants to aspiring teachers to help them cover the cost of the training they need to enter the classroom. Grants are targeted to teachers who commit to teach in subject areas where California is currently facing a severe shortage of teachers – primarily bilingual education, special education and STEM, and in schools that have had a particularly hard time hiring qualified educators. “Teachers change lives and are the bedrock of our public education system,” said Assemblymember Rivas. “That’s why it’s critical we fight to support them. I authored the Golden State Teacher Grant Program to do just that and help schools bring more teachers into the classrooms where they’re needed most.” Currently, California’s pipeline of new teachers hovers ne

On Thursday, June 27 at around 6:30 am King City Police Officers responded to the area of the 600 block of South First Street as a witness reported seeing a male “tagging” the bridge near the railroad tracks in the area of Gill’s Onions. Upon Officers arrival, 2 males fled on foot from the East side of the bridge towards the 400 block of Jayne Street. After a short foot pursuit 22-year-old suspect Lance Joseph Barr of Oakland was captured, while the second suspect who was later identified as 21-year-old Ryan Alan Baca of Hayward evaded Officers by running into the river bottom. However, a secondary area check allowed Officers to see Baca in the river bottom. After a second foot pursuit Baca was located and placed into custody without incident in the river bottom. Barr’s vehicle was located near the scene of the crime. Located inside of Barr’s grey 2006 Toyota Matrix was an extremely large amount of aerosol paint cans, paint rollers, along with gallons of paint, markers, and other art

On Wednesday, June 26 at 2 am officers responded to the 600 block of North Vanderhurst Avenue for a report of a fight in progress between a male and female. The ensuing investigation revealed that the HM 42-year-old male suspect struck his 28-year-old HF girlfriend with a closed fist. The Victim and Suspect were in a verbal argument when the suspect struck the Victim. The victim sustained a minor injury, while the suspect fled the scene upon the officer’s arrival. However, the Suspect was contacted at around 6 am at the residence and was taken into custody without incident. He was transported and booked into the Monterey County Jail charged with spousal abuse and resisting arrest. Due to confidentiality laws no other information is being released. Anyone with further information in regards to 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. On Wednesday, Ju

On Monday, June 24, Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) announced a boost in funding to the Monterey County Health Department, Behavioral Health Division.  “Addressing the unmet mental health needs in our communities is of vital importance,” Rivas said. “I’m pleased to see this funding allocation, which will support two new mobile crisis support teams in our district.” The Monterey County Health Department, Behavioral Health Division received a grant of approximately $485,000 through the Investment in Mental Health Wellness Grant Program for Children and Youth. Rivas said, “Crisis intervention teams can be an outstanding resource for communities. These teams can respond to mental health crises throughout the county and assist with de-escalation, potentially decreasing unnecessary hospitalizations or incarcerations by providing compassionate and effective responses to residents experiencing a mental health crisis.”  Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) represents th

An SUV hauling a camper going Northbound on Highway 101 overturned, went off the road and hit a fence between Underwood and Espinosa Road south of Greenfield sometime after 3 pm on Monday, June 24. There were no injuries, while the cause of the accident is unknown.

District 3 Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez and the rest of the Monterey County Supervisors approved a Capital Improvement Project Timeline during their regular meeting on June 18 which aims to get a lot of work done on some roads in the area that really need it. Supervisor Lopez said that they're going to make investments in roads covering over 150 miles in the County for District 3 that will be restriped and stated that about 50 miles of roads in South Monterey County will be redone, repaved and rebuilt that include Old Stage Road, Alisal Road, portions of Iverson and Gloria Roads, portions of Paraiso Road near Soledad and some chip sealing near Metz Road as well will be done. In addition, the County is also investing in having River Road worked on in the Gonzales area. The funding for all of this work is made possible by Measure X and SB 1 Tax dollars.

There are going to be more major scheduled road and lane closures for South Monterey County during the week of June 23, 2019 that motorists should be aware of. 101: Jolon Road – First Street, King City:  June 24 – June 28 Intermittent ramp and lane closures will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between Jolon Road and First Street in King City for paving work from 2:00 am to 4:00 pm. Highway 101: First Street-Wild Horse Road, King City:  June 24 – June 26 One lane closure will be in place along southbound Highway 101 between First Street and Wild Horse Road in King City for shoulder work from 7 am to 4 pm. Highway 101: Lockwood/San Lucas Road: June 24 – June 28 The on and off ramps of northbound & southbound Highway 101 at Lockwood/San Lucas Road, will be closed for grinding and paving work from 6 am to 8 pm. Highway 101: San Ardo – San Lucas: June 24 – June 28 One lane closure will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between the Paris

A 1 vehicle accident involving a White Toyota SUV occurred off of Arroyo Seco Road and Thorne Road in Greenfield just before 5 pm on Saturday, June 22. No one was injured, while the cause of the crash is unknown. 

Over 70 people were on hand on Thursday, June 20 to celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony for District 3 Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez's new office which will be located at 365 Walnut Avenue in Greenfield. Maximus III Development is in charge of the work and the funding for this project, while the County will be renting the 2000 square foot space for Supervisor Lopez's office. The work is expected to be complete sometime between June and December of 2019. 

On Wednesday night, June 19 just before 7 pm, a female juvenile and a few of her female friends were at a Skate Park in King City when a male adult approached them to talk and try to get one of them in his car. All of the girls thought he was strange when he was sitting with them to make conversation and they told him to leave them alone before they went to a nearby bathroom to get away from him. However, once they returned, he continued to bother one of the girls and her friends even more before they asked him to leave them alone again. The man did end up leaving and one of the girls took a photo of a Nissan Altima with the license plate number he was in and called the King City PD. The man was contacted shortly after 8 pm that same night and the case has been submitted to the DA's Office where the man has been charged with annoying a minor which is a misdemeanor. No physical touching occurred between the suspect and the victims. The reported incident was investig

A 31-year-old Gonzales man was killed in a fatal accident on Highway 101 South near Potter Road in Salinas sometime before 10 am on Wednesday morning, June 19. The CHP reports that the man was driving a black BMW with a 25-year-old female passenger of Gonzales and states that for unknown reasons, he drifted his vehicle out of control north of Potter Road. The BMW went into the northbound lanes of Highway 101 and struck a Jeep Cherokee which ended up blocking a southbound lane of the highway because of the crash. The driver of the Jeep Cherokee sustained minor injuries, and the passenger was not injured. The BMW spiraled out of control in the northbound lanes hitting several signs and an iron fence in front of Big W Sales on the corner of Highway 101 and Rosehart Way and landed on it's roof. The driver in the BMW died of his injuries, and his passenger was transported to Natividad Medical Center with moderate injuries in Salinas. Alcohol and or drugs do no

MONTEREY COUNTY – There are a few scheduled road and lane closures for South Monterey County this week that motorists should be aware of until Saturday, June 22. Highway 101: Wild Horse Road – Jolon Road, King City:  June 17 – June 21 There will be intermittent ramp and lane closures along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between Wild Horse Road and First Street in King City for paving work from 2:00 am to 4:00 pm today until Friday. Highway 101: Lockwood/San Lucas Road: June 17 – June 21 The on and off ramps of northbound & southbound Highway 101 at Lockwood/San Lucas Road, will be closed for grinding and paving work from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm today until Friday. Please keep in mind that construction work is weather-dependent.

A vehicle versus train collision occurred on Highway 101 and Esperanza Road just north of Chualar on Tuesday, June 18. The CHP reports that the accident happened sometime after 1:30 pm as the driver of a 2005 Ford Focus was trying to motor across the railroad tracks as an Amtrak train was approaching. The driver departed his vehicle once he realized that he wasn't going to drive across the tracks in time and the train hit his car. No one was injured in the vehicle and no one was hurt in the Amtrak train. 

On Monday, June 17 at 1:50 pm, 18-year-old Cassandra Walton of Paso Robles was driving a 2007 Mercedes Benz westbound on Linne Road just east of Hudson Road outside of Paso Robles at an unknown speed, while 22-year-old Justin Lahr was driving a 1987 Jeep Commanche eastbound on Linne Road and west of Walton at an unknown speed. According to Walton, she became distracted as she rolled down her window causing her to drift over the broken yellow lines and begin driving westbound in the eastbound lane. Lahr noticed that Walton was in his lane and took evasive action turning his vehicle to the the left into the westbound lane. Walton realized she was driving in the opposite lane and turned her vehicle back to the right in an attempt to return to her lane, while Lahr observed her vehicle abruptly move back into the westbound lane at which time he applied his brakes. However he was unable to slow down causing the front of the Mercedes Benz to collide with the front of his Jeep Commanche whic

On Monday, June 17 at 4:40 pm hours Officers from the King City Police Department were dispatched to the 400 block of Canal Street regarding a disturbance at a residence. The victim stated to Police that her boyfriend the Suspect 27-year-old Amansio Parra Carrillo who took her against her will on June 8 before she was later found was at her residence creating a disturbance. Upon the Officers arrival, the suspect had left the residence. However, Officers and detectives located the suspect on the 400 block of Bassett where he was taken into custody without incident. Carrillo was booked into the Monterey County Jail and was charged with Kidnapping, Burglary, a Violation of a Restraining Order and Battery. No other information is being released at this time.  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. Please contact Det. Leo Guz

Law Enforcement Officers and residents were out and about throughout South Monterey County on Monday morning, June 17 in King City, Greenfield, Soledad and Gonzales for a Law Enforcement Torch Run to help benefit the Northern California Special Olympics which will be held from June 21 to June 23 in Davis. The Torch Run also ended up going through Salinas and a number Peninsula cities. By the time it reaches it's destination on Friday the Flame of Hope will have gone through 21 counties and traveled hundreds of miles.

(SACRAMENTO) – On Thursday, June 13, both houses of the state Legislature approved the 2019-20 state budget and Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) issued the following statement: “The Legislature has passed an on-time and balanced budget that prioritizes investments in our residents’ health, education and housing. I’m proud that my first budget vote takes bold steps to help more people in our communities live the California dream. Together, with the Senate and Governor, we have crafted a budget that takes historic steps to help all Californians today, while laying the foundation for an even brighter tomorrow.” Budget Highlights Include: Record $81 billion for our public schools and community colleges Increased investments in preschool and childcare with over 20,000 additional children covered $89 million to bring more teachers into public school classrooms through the Golden State Teacher Grant Program authored by Assemblymember Rivas Progress towards universal healthc

On Friday, June 14, (60) law enforcement personnel from the Cities of Soledad, Greenfield, the California State Parole, USDHS - Homeland Security Investigations (HIS), DEA, California Highway Patrol (K-9 officers and H70 Helicopter), The California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (Correctional Training Facility and Salinas Valley State Prison), and the Monterey County Department of Probation participated in a multi-jurisdictional targeted suppression operation in the cities of Soledad, Greenfield and South Monterey County. During the operation, a total of four search warrants were served and three subjects were arrested for a variety of charges ranging from possession of machine guns, possession of high capacity magazines and possession of unlawful weapons (dirk or dagger and metal knuckles). In addition, six parole and probation compliance checks were conducted and all parties were found to be in compliance with the conditions of their parole and probation. The followi

The King City City Council on Tuesday night, June 11 during their regular meeting passed their Biennial Budget for the 2019-20 Fiscal year and what they're projecting for 2020-21. City Manager Steve Adams said that they decided to also pass 2020-21 Budget projections due to the fact that putting together and finalizing any Budget increases cost efficiency, is labor intensive and it reduces some of the staff work involved. In addition, it also gets them to project out further and provide financial planning. The Budget approved by the King City City Council for 2019-20 is over $14,000,000 with over $8,000,000 coming from the General Fund. Adams said that he's pleased that this year's Budget is balanced with ongoing revenues and expenditures. The 2020-21 Budget that the King City City Council passed is projected to be at $14,800,000 with over $10,200,000 coming from the General Fund and if that projection is correct the City is hoping to work on more Infrastructure projects

A brush fire sparked sometime before 4:30 pm on Wednesday, June 12 near the San Ardo Oilfields close to Sargent Canyon Road burning 43 acres. Cal Fire crews and other agencies fully extinguished the blaze sometime at around 9 or 10 pm. The cause of the fire is unknown and there were no injuries reported.

Just before 6 pm on Wednesday night, June 12 a vegetation fire broke out on the center divide south of the Arroyo Seco exit on Highway 101 outside of Soledad scorching over 2 acres. Firemen from Cal Fire, the Soledad Fire Department, the Greenfield Fire Department and CTF fully contained the blaze in about an hour. No one was hurt, while the cause of the fire is undetermined.

A 2 vehicle hit and run crash occurred before a little before 6 pm on Wednesday night, June 12 on Highway 101 Northbound near the Arroyo Seco exit in Soledad. No one was injured, while the cause of the collision is unknown.

A brush fire lit up sometime after 3 pm on Highway 101 Northbound near the Thorne Road exit in Greenfield on Tuesday, June 11. Three Cal Fire engines, 1 handcrew, 3 Cal Fire Chiefs and the Greenfield Fire Department controlled the fire within 45 minutes. According to Greenfield Fire Chief Jim Langborg, the blaze burned 5 acres and was caused by an Ag Truck which was pulling a Trailer that lost a wheel. Highway 101 Southbound was shutdown in that area for about 40 minutes because of the heavy smoke along with the Thorne Road exit Offramp on 101 South which was closed for a few hours. No one was injured.

1 vehicle lost control going off the roadway on Highway 101 Southbound near the Teague exit north of King City just before 2:30 pm on Tuesday, June 11. The CHP reports that a GMC Yukon was involved in the collision and that 1 person was transported to Natividad Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries from the solo crash. The cause of the accident is unknown.

(SACRAMENTO) – Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) announced on Monday, June 10 that the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program (HSP) has awarded $422,720 to 12 projects in the 30th Assembly District. The funding comes after the CDFA was appropriated $10 million from the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 and $5 million from the California Climate Investments by the Budget Act of 2018. “The Healthy Soils Program does tremendous work to support farmers and ranchers in developing environmentally friendly farming practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the health of our soil,” said Rivas. “These grants will provide an opportunity for our region to be an example of how we can adapt in the face of global warming and preserve our strong agricultural economy.” The Healthy Soils Program (HSP) is comprised of two components, the HSP Incentives Program and the HS

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Tuesday, June 11 that an officer involved shooting occurred on Monday night, June 10 at 8:01 pm in the City of Gonzales. The District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation responded to the scene at approximately 8:30 pm. The Preliminary investigation reveals that after a Gonzales police officer deployed his Taser at Ramon F. Curiel, Curiel fired a 9mm handgun at the officer. The officer then fired one round from his .40 caliber Glock. The officer pursued Curiel and fired, striking the suspect. The suspect continued to flee and converged with another Gonzales officer who fired his AR-15 at Curiel, striking him. Curiel continued to flee, hide and 3 hours later members of the Salinas Police Department SWAT team located him. Curiel was arrested and transported to Natividad Medical Center with non-life threating injuries. He is pending booking into the Monterey County Jail. Other responding agencies in

The Gonzales Police Department along with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and the Salinas Police Department were paged close to an area of Center and 9th Streets in Gonzales on Monday night, June 10 sometime at around 8 pm due to reports of multiple shots that were fired by a man at a home. A suspect barricaded himself in a house off of Center and 9th Streets for a couple hours and during that time period, Police yelled through a speaker in English and Spanish for a person to surrender. Law enforcement were later able to detain and arrest the suspect sometime after 11 pm taking him into custody. The investigation is now being handled by the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.

PASO ROBLES, CA – At approximately 4:15 pm on Monday, June 10, Paso Robles Department of Emergency Services was dispatched to the area of Niblick Bridge for a vegetation fire. The first fire engine arrived at scene within approximately 5 minutes. The initial crew reported less than a quarter acre of grass burning in the riverbed, wind driven and moving at a moderate rate of spread. Niblick Road between Spring Street and South River Road were closed for approximately one hour due to poor visibility from the smoke. High winds caused the fire to progress and spot across Niblick Bridge. Two fire engines, one squad and two Battalion Chief’s from Paso Robles responded. Under the City’s automatic and mutual aid agreements, four fire engines and two Battalion Chief’s from CAL FIRE/SLO County, one engine from Camp Roberts Fire, one engine from San Miguel Fire, one engine from Templeton Fire and one engine from Atascadero Fire immediately responded. A total of 32 firefighters were requi

A 2 vehicle crash occurred off of Metz Road and County Road 15 outside of King City on Saturday night, June 8 sometime after 9 pm. The CHP reports that a Van and a Toyota 4Runner were involved in the accident. One person received minor injuries and ended up being transported by Ambulance to Natividad Medical Center, while another person was arrested due to the fact that alcohol did play a factor in this collision.

On Saturday, June 8 at around 5:30 am, Officers from the King City Police Department were dispatched to a residence located on the 400 block of Seventh Street in King City regarding a fight in progress. Upon the officers arrival their preliminary investigation revealed that 27-year-old Amansio Parra Carrillo of King City entered the residence without permission and a 20 year old female was taken from the residence against her will. The suspect forced the victim into a vehicle and left south on Seventh Street turning west onto Division and out of sight. Investigators from the Major Crimes Investigations Unit were called out to investigate the incident. The ensuing investigation by the Major Crimes Unit determined the victim and suspect had a previous relationship and a child in common. Due to the contentious relationship, a restraining order protecting the victim was granted against the suspect. When Carrillo contacted the victim in this incident, he violated the court order. When t

A 2 vehicle accident occurred off of San Antonio Drive and Amherst in King City on Friday night, June 7. The crash happened sometime between 9:30 pm and 10:30 pm involving a pickup and a Jeep SUV. There were no injuries reported, while the cause of the collision is unknown.

King City Police Officers were paged to a business located on the 600 block of Broadway for the report of a burglary that took place between the hours of 8 pm on Thursday night, June 6 and 9 am on Friday, June 7. The unknown person attempted to enter the closed business without permission. The person who reported the incident stated that nothing was taken from the business. However, there was damage done by the suspect attempting to enter the business. While reviewing video sur veillance footage on the victim’s property, Officers developed a person of interest identified as an unknown male wearing a black and red jacket, blue jeans, a grey and black hat and white shoes. Anyone with further information about this incident is asked to contact Officer Matt Dillon at the King City Police Department at 831-385-4848 or the WeTip line at 1-800-78-CRIME.

It's been almost a week since Southern Monterey County Republican Women Federated tabulated how many care packages they received from people in King City and many of the surrounding areas within the last couple of weeks to mail off to our troops serving overseas. SMCRWF President Karen Leonhard said that $200 to $300 was donated for postage expense along with food, magazines, comic books, wet wipes, toiletries and other items. A total of 30 to 40 large boxes were filled up with donations. Leonhard that they plan to ship out the boxes of care packges to troops sometime during the week of June 9 or June 16. SMCRWF will be collecting more care packages to mail off to our troops abroad sometime in November of 2019.

Monterey County Supervisors are preparing to finalize their $1.5 billion budget for the next fiscal year. District 3 County Supervisor Chris Lopez said that the budget increased by $25 million and added that a lot of the money will be used for for their roadways, early childhood education and housing. The Monterey County Supervisors are expecting to approve their proposed Budget during the week of June 9. Supervisor Lopez also indicated that he's looking forward to construction work beginning on his new office in Greenfield to next week. A groundbreaking ceremony will occur on Thursday, June 20 beginning at 10 am off of Walnut Avenue next to Starbucks in Greenfield.

The Monterey County Superior Court put out recommendations on Thursday, June 6 to the Judicial Council of California for approval that two courthouses are constructed, one in Greenfield and one in the Seaside area. District 3 Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez feels that the city of Greenfield should receive top priority and is continuing to make a push that the city of Greenfield ends up being #1 in line to have a courthouse built. The Judicial Council will look at the Monterey County Superior Court's proposal along with others from 57 counties and then they'll rank each courthouse by priority. The rankings are expected to be released sometime in mid August of 2019. If approved the Greenfield courthouse would serve South Monterey County which would consist of one full-time courtroom and would have a variety of legal services available locally such as family law, probate, civil, traffic court and small claims. Supervisor Lopez said that they need to cont

1 vehicle spun out of control striking a guardrail on the First Street Highway 101 Northbound onramp in King City sometime after 4:30 pm on Wednesday, June 5. The car received major damage from the crash on it's front and left side. No one was injured, while alcohol or drugs were not a factor in the accident. 

The city of Soledad is asking for public input on the design of the city's newest park which will be located near the intersection of Metz Road and Orchard Lane. The city has scheduled 4 public meetings to get community feedback on topics that include the park's layout, recreational features, and beautification. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 5 at 4:30 pm at Soledad City Hall, while the 2nd meeting will take place at Gallardo Park at 9:30 am on June 22, the third meeting will be at the South County YMCA in Soledad at 4 pm on July 2 and the last meeting will occur at Soledad City Hall on July 17 at 6:30 pm. Residents can also share their ideas in writing by email at communityoutreach@soledad.com. The deadline to submit written comments is July 6.

Over 30 families who reside in trailers and mobile homes in Soledad could possibly be evicted after the land owner announced his intent months ago to build a hotel on the property. Many of the over 100 people who are living at the Nielsen Mobile Home Park in Soledad are retired or work in agriculture and many of them don't know where to go if they are evicted especially with the housing and renting prices being as high as they are in South Monterey County. In October of 2018, the new owner sent out a notice to residents indicating that he wanted to build a new hotel and that everyone will have to leave. Right now there are 27 mobile homes, 4 apartments and 2 houses on the property, and the owner is looking to make these changes sometime in 2020. To prevent eviction, residents are asking for help from the City Soledad and from the Center for Community Advocacy in Salinas. Over 80 people conducted a march and rally on Wednesday, June 5 beginning at the Nielsen Mobile Home Park and

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, June 4, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) voted in support of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act.  The measure passed on a 237 – 187 vote.  The legislation allows Dreamers and individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to continue to contribute, work, and remain legally in the United States by providing an earned pathway to citizenship. "These are men and women who don’t just live here; they work here, go to school here, own homes here, have families here.  They are our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors, our employees.  They just don’t want to stay here, they want to contribute here, they want to give back to the community and country that has given them so much.  They understand, they value, they yearn to fulfill their obligations of living in this democracy," said Congressman Panetta. In 2017, the Administration announced its decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Chil