KRKC COUNTRY

Many Vendors and people throughout Monterey County, North San Luis Obispo County and beyond were on hand for the Annual Fort Hunter Liggett Community Expo at the DeAnza Sports Center Main Gym on Thursday, August 29.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest on the highways, which makes impaired driving even more dangerous.  To help keep the roadways safe, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is joining forces with five other Western states with the slogan “No safe place for impaired drivers” to crack down on drunk and drugged driving for the coming holiday weekend. In partnership with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the state patrols of Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington will work as a Western States Traffic Safety Coalition to place special emphasis on the enforcement of drug-impaired driving.  The states will jointly stress that driving under the influence (DUI) means drugs as well as alcohol in their educational efforts. “Whatever causes impairment makes you an unsafe driver,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said.  “High visibility enforcement in these six states will help create a general deterrence and promote safer driv

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Thursday, August 29 that a jury found 43-year-old Robin Guzman of Atascadero, guilty of felony evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, driving under the influence of alcohol, and found true an enhancement for driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or greater. Judge Rafael Vazquez presided over the 4-day jury trial. On April 28, 2018, Guzman was speeding on Highway 101 southbound approaching the Gonzales off-ramp. Deputy Abel Munoz of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office turned on his lights and sirens to stop him. Guzman did not pull over. Between the Gonzales off-ramp and the 5th Street off-ramp, Guzman straddled the number one and two lanes at high rates of speed causing the vehicles in front of him to veer off the road to avoid being hit. He did this again between the 5th Street off-ramp and the Gloria Road off-ramp, causing two more vehicles to veer off the road to avoid a collision. Guzman

On Tuesday, August 27, an unknown male forcefully entered a locked business after hours on the 300 block of Alta Street in Gonzales and burglarized the business. The Gonzales Police Department is asking for the assistance of the Gonzales Community to help identify an individual in the photo we've posted on KRKCCountry.com and on our KRKC Country Facebook Page. If you have any information regarding this suspect, you can anonymously call the Gonzales Police Department at (831)675-5010 or the Monterey County Dispatcher at (831)755-5111. Please provide your information with Case Number ZG1900608, so the appropriate officer can follow up on the information.

On Wednesday, August 28, at around 7:28 am, 29-year-old Joey McGraw of San Bernardino was heading Westbound in 1999 Acura TL on State Route 46 West of Antelope Road in Templeton attempting to pass a Truck Tractor and Trailer Combination. As he attempted to pass the Truck and Trailer, he realized that he didn't have sufficient clearance to pass without colliding into a Westbound vehicle. McGraw ended up turning back into the Westbound Lane, but due to his unsafe speed, he was unable to maintain control of his vehicle and swerved out of control into the Eastbound Lane. McGraw drove directly into the path of 67-year-old driver Michael Klassen of Pebble Beach who was driving a 2015 Toyota Sienna and the vehicles collided head-on. The Commercial Truck Tractor and Trailer Combination were not involved in the collision. After the impact, the Toyota went over the South Side of the Highway and the Acura came to rest blocking the Eastbound Lane of Traffic. Both Drivers sustained possible f

In early 2019, America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Bayer Fund, partnered with local farmers to nominate rural schools and awarded more than $2.3 million in grants to enhance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. Because area farmers answered the call, Grow Rural Education has awarded King City Union School District in Monterey, CA with a $25,000 grant. Chalone Peaks Middle School is one of the many schools across the country that has benefited from the Grow Rural Education program. For each grant-winning school, teachers, students and, oftentimes, community members develop plans to create more engaging and innovative STEM programs. Grow Rural Education grants have helped schools purchase an array of STEM-related materials, such as augmented-reality sandboxes, weather-forecasting and robotics equipment. Chalone Peaks Middle School will use the Grow Rural Education funds to develop a comprehensive STEM classroom and makerspace. The clas

King City, CA — Access to health care in the mid-Salinas Valley is improving with the opening of the new Mee Memorial Greenfield Clinic on Wednesday, August 28. A grand opening celebration is planned for Friday, September 27. The new facility is located at 467 S. El Camino Real in Greenfield; the main Mee Memorial Hospital is in King City. "The location will make a big difference," said Mee Memorial Healthcare System CEO Michael Hutchinson. "It will make it much easier for the many Greenfield-area families to get care when they need it, including regular preventive care like checkups. That makes such a difference in improving overall health." Services to be offered at the Greenfield Clinic include primary care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, podiatry, and lab services, with radiology to be added in the coming months. A nurse practitioner is also available to complement the services provided by physicians. The Clinic will accept Medicare, MediCal, CCAH

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Wednesday, August 28 that King City resident/transient, Jarrod Houx, age 37, was convicted of lewd conduct in public and indecent exposure. Judge Thomas Wills presided over the two- day jury trial. On March 11, 2019, Houx was charging his cellphone in the visitors area of Mee Memorial Hospital in King City. He observed a woman walk into an adjacent room to purchase something from the vending machines and followed her into the room and exposed his genitals. The woman immediately left the room and reported the incident to hospital security. One week later, on March 18, 2019, Houx was on the corner of Division and Canal Streets in King City where he exposed himself to another woman. The victim was driving her car in the vicinity when Houx pulled his pants down, exposing his genitals. She immediately reported this to the King City Police Department. During the trial, the victim testified she recognized Houx from another

King City, CA, — Memorial Healthcare System announced on Friday, August 23 that they will soon launch improved emergency medical services in affiliation with Vituity (www.vituity.com), a national emergency care provider based in Emeryville, CA. The new partnership is part of an ongoing commitment to providing higher quality healthcare to South Monterey County. Vituity is a physician-owned company that specializes in providing emergency department services with an emphasis on improving clinical quality, efficiency, and the patient experience. It was founded in 1975 by emergency care doctors in Northern California under the name California Emergency Physicians. Vituity now serves hospitals across the United States, including Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, Twin Cities Hospital in Templeton, and Sierra Vista Hospital in San Luis Obispo. The group also manages three trauma centers and four of the largest emergency departments in metro Los Angeles and has the largest emergency care

California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Tuesday, August 27 that 31-year-old Ana Villegas and 41-year-old Juan Garcia-Aspeitia of Chualar, recently pled guilty to felony welfare fraud. The plea was taken by Monterey County Superior Court Judge Mark E. Hood. Between the months of April 2015 and October 2017, the couple was receiving CalFresh benefits (food stamps) and CalWorks benefits (cash aide) claiming that they needed these benefits to support their children as they were both unemployed. A subsequent investigation by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office revealed that both individuals were in fact employed during the entire fraud period. Both Villegas and Garcia-Aspeitia misrepresented their employment and income status to DSS, as well as on the requisite reporting forms for these programs. Their household income was well above the level required to be eligible to receive any benefits. The

A listening session hosted by District 3 Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez at Gonzales City Hall on Friday night, August 23 drew in a small number of people, but quite a few issues were addressed over an hour and a half. Questions were asked about what the latest news is about trying to get funding for new courthouse built in Greenfield, whether there was any chance that a Mental Health Clinic can be put into South Monterey County and there also questions addressed about affordable housing. The next listening session that Supervisor Lopez plans to host will be with the Monterey County Sheriff's Department at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City on a date that has not yet been announced.

On Sunday night, August 25 at 8:54 PM, Greenfield Police Officers attempted a traffic enforcement stop on a vehicle for traffic violations. The driver failed to yield and led officers on a low speed vehicle pursuit throughout Greenfield. At no time were other motorists or pedestrians in danger. The pursuit ended when the driver pulled into a gas station on the 100 block of El Camino Real. The driver sat in his vehicle and refused to comply with officers’ directives. An officer trained in crisis intervention realized the driver was in a mental health crisis and began negotiations. After several minutes, the driver exited the vehicle and was safely taken into custody. Once at the police station, a mental health evaluation was conducted and the driver was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. Also assisting the Greenfield PD with this incident were the Soledad Police Department, the CHP - King City and the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Monday, August 26 that on Friday, August 23, 38-year-old Hector Hernandez of King City and owner of Hernandez Roofing, pled no contest to 3 felony counts involving insurance fraud and tax evasion. He will be sentenced on January 31, 2020. Between 2013 and 2016, Hernandez secured a workers’ compensation insurance policy for his business through the State Compensation Insurance Fund (“SCIF”). In order to pay lower insurance premiums, he told SCIF that he did not have any employees. The District Attorney’s Office opened an investigation in February 2016, obtaining building permits showing that Hernandez handled about 96 roofing jobs in a 3-year period. Interviews of workers and homeowners revealed that Hernandez used at least 3 employees. Additionally, bank records confirmed that he paid wages in cash without withholding required state payroll taxes. Investigators calculated Hernandez defrauded SCIF of $159,059.00 in pr

The King City Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect who was part of an unprovoked attack. The incident happened on Thursday night, August 22 at around 9 pm as officers from the King City Police Department were dispatched to a service station on the 1100 block of Broadway Street regarding a fight that had occurred. Upon the officer’s arrival all the involved parties had fled the scene. However, on Friday afternoon, August 23 at 1:50 pm the victim of the assault went to the King City Police Department to report the incident. The ensuing investigation determined that the victim was fueling up his vehicle when an unknown Hispanic Male Adult approached the victim and in an unprovoked attack struck the victim numerous times in the upper body with his fists, knocking the victim to the ground. Once on the ground the suspect kicked the victim in the upper body with his feet. The suspect walked away going into the store, purchasing some items and left

On Wednesday, August 21 at around 4:15 pm officers from the King City Police Department were dispatched to a business on the 800 block of Broadway Street regarding a man with a gun. Upon the officers arrival, the man had fled the area, last seen walking eastbound on Broadway Street. The ensuing investigation revealed that the suspect, who was identified as 55-year-old Victor Reyes Garcia of King City entered the business and demanded his paycheck. However, Garcia could not provide any identification, so he was refused his paycheck. Garcia left the business upset, while the manager locked the front door as soon as Garcia left due to him leaving angry about not receiving his paycheck and was fearful of him. Garcia returned a few minutes later demanding entry into the business to get his paycheck and when he was refused entry, Garcia lifted his shirt and brandished a firearm which was tucked into his waistband, while demanding his paycheck. The manager called 911 and Garcia left the ar

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Wednesday, August 21 that 35-year-old Jesse Mendoza Hernandez of Salinas was sentenced by Judge Pamela L. Butler to 2 years in the Monterey County jail for check fraud in Gonzales. The incident occurred on March 9, 2017, as a branch manager at Rabobank contacted the Gonzales Police Department and reported that Hernandez had cashed a check for $2,969.59. The check appeared to have been issued to Hernandez by Central Coast Community Care, but, after examining the check, the branch manager was able to see that the original payee’s name had been taken out and that Hernandez’s name had been superimposed onto the check. Further investigation by the Gonzales Police Department confirmed that the check had originally been issued to a temporary staffing agency called Universal Staffing, a company at which Hernandez had been employed in 2014.

On Wednesday morning August 21, at around midnight, Greenfield Police officers contacted a suspicious male with a flashlight while he was looking into homes and vehicles on the 300 block of Ventana Avenue. As the officers approached the male subject, later identified as 36-year-old Rodrigo Morales, he attempted to elude officers by hiding in a bush. When officers located Morales, they also found a loaded firearm. The investigation showed that Morales was in possession of a loaded firearm that wasn’t registered to him. Morales was taken into custody and booked into Monterey County jail.

On Monday night, August 19 a 4 acre brush was knocked down in a few hours off of Fort Romie west of Soledad, while a 1/2 acre vegetation fire was quickly put out in less than an hour at the Walnut Avenue Offramp on Highway 101 South in Greenfield late Tuesday afternoon, August 20. No one was hurt in any of these fires, while the cause is unknown.

On Monday, August 19, at around 1:49 PM, 24-year-old Jorge Luis Gonzalez of Bakersfield was driving a Peterbuilt truck trailer southbound on US-101 south of Santa Barbara Road in Atascadero which was loaded with 79,000 pounds of rocks when the rear tire on the trailer went flat. Gonzalez pulled to the right shoulder and stopped, exited his vehicle and walked back to the trailer. However, Gonzalez saw the rear tire start smoking, so he went back to his truck to retrieve his fire extinguisher and as he walked back to the tire, a small fire started and had jumped to the shoulder. Gonzalez tried to put the fire out with his fire extinguisher, but was unable to keep up with the growing fire. Fire crews from multiple agencies responded to battle the fire, while the Templeton CHP and Cal Trans closed southbound US-101. The Atascadero Police Department also assisted with diverting the Southbound traffic to El Camino Real, east of US-101. The #1 lane of US-101 was re-opened a short time later

Major scheduled road and lane closures for South Monterey County are back in place for the week of August 18 on Highway 101 that drivers should be aware. Highway 101: Broadway Street  - Jolon Road, King City: August 19 – August 22 One lane closure and full ramp closures will occur on northbound and southbound Highway 101 in King City between Broadway Street and Jolon Road for survey work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Highway 101: San Antonio River Bridge: August 20 One lane closure will occur along northbound Highway 101 at the San Antonio River Bridge in King City for tree work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Highway 101: Camp Roberts: Now – September 27 One long-term lane closure is in place along northbound and southbound Highway 101 at Camp Roberts for paving work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m until September 27. There will also be a long-term closure of the on and off ramps of northbound Highway 101 at Camp Roberts. Highway 101: South Camp Roberts – East Garrison: Now  - August 30 One long-ter

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Monday, August 20 that on August 14, Judge Andrew Liu sentenced 21-year-old Daniel Amaro of Soledad and 25-year-old Abriam Ibarra of Salinas, to prison for trafficking minors for commercial sex. Amaro pled guilty to 2 counts of trafficking minors for the purpose of commercial sex and received a stipulated sentence of 14 years of 8 months, which is the maximum sentence under the law for two counts of non-forcible human trafficking, while Ibarra, who had a prior conviction for first degree burglary, a strike offense, pled guilty to one count of trafficking a minor for the purpose of commercial sex as well as 1 count of pimping a minor for a stipulated prison sentence of 20 years. Both men will have to register as sex offenders for life.  On February 1, 2018, 15-year-old victim #1 ran away from home and as a runaway she initially met Ibarra who encouraged her to engage in commercial sex acts with promises of making easy

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Friday, August 16 that 41-year-old Antonio Sharp an inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, was sentenced after being convicted of indecent exposure. On April 5, 2018, Sharp, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence for assault with a deadly weapon, was being disruptive in his cell. When a female correctional officer came to investigate, Sharp exposed himself and made salacious and inappropriate comments to her. This behavior continued as the officer walked away to write her report. Judge Timothy Roberts presided over a 2 day jury trial that concluded on July 30, 2019. On Friday, August 16, Judge Roberts sentenced Sharp to 6 months in prison and required him to register as a sex offender pursuant to California Penal Code 290 when he is released in January of 2023. This case was investigated by Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Investigator Jackie Meroney.

At the King City City Council meeting on Tuesday night, August 13 at City Hall retiring Fire Chief George Young was honored by the Council for the 5 years of service he put in as Fire Chief and the 31 years he served on the King City Volunteer Fire Department. Two representatives from the Pilot Power Group presented a $10,000 check to the Council for Solar Powered Streetlights that they'll be installing, while in other business, Councilman Rob Cullen brought up his concerns regarding what's going on at Mee Memorial Hospital with the recent layoffs they've made and how that could affect the existing Hospital staff moving forward. The Council agreed that they put together a letter and send it to the Board of Trustees at Mee Memorial Hospital about what their future plans are. Mee Memorial Hospital CEO Michael Hutchinson announced on Tuesday morning, August 13 that he will decide soon when a town hall meeting with the community will be held to answer any questions or concern

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, August 13, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation Accounting Act.  The bipartisan legislation requires the Government Accountability Office provide annual reports to Congress on the budgets for international and domestic nuclear security programs of the United States. The bill is cosponsored by Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN).  Congressman Panetta and Congressman Fleishmann are members of the Congressional Nuclear Security Working Group. "Preventing nuclear and radiological threats from nation states and terrorist organizations must remain a priority for the United States.  By increasing the transparency of our nuclear security and nuclear nonproliferation programs, this bipartisan legislation allows our government to be more focused, agile, and creative in confronting emerging nuclear security challenges," said Congressman Panetta. "Happy to partner with Congressman Panetta to wor

On Monday, August 12, Monterey County Sheriff's Deputies stopped an SUV on Jolon Road in King City for multiple traffic violations. During the traffic stop, a K9 Bond was alerted to an odor of narcotics inside the SUV. Deputies searched the SUV and located multiple packages of heroin inside a hidden compartment. Deputies also found a .22 caliber handgun. There was approximately 9 ounces of heroin located. The driver of the SUV, Ruben Barraza, was placed under arrest and booked into the Monterey County Jail.

A truck hauling a trailer caught fire as it pulled over south of Greenfield off of Highway 101 Northbound near Espinosa Road on Monday night, August 12 at around 6:45 pm. The CHP reports that there were no injuries and that the driver tried to extinguish the fire by himself, but was unable to do so and Cal Fire crews along with other agencies arrived on the scene in a matter of minutes to put out the blaze. One lane in that area was blocked off for over a half an hour. The cause of the truck and trailer catching fire is unknown.

Over 50 people were on hand for a vigil that took place in front of Mee Memorial Hospital in King City on Monday night, August 12. Registered nurses at Mee Memorial who are a part of the California Nurses Association put this vigil on to alert the community about patient care concerns that they have at the hospital ever since it was recently announced a few weeks ago that over 40 people have been laid off in other Departments. Hours after the vigil took place, CEO Mike Hutchinson of Mee Memorial announced on Tuesday morning, August 13 that h e has agreed to hold a town hall with the community to answer any questions or concerns about what is happening at the hospital. An announcement will be made sometime during the week of August 12 with a time and date for the meeting.

Registered nurses at Mee Memorial Hospital in King City, Calif. will hold a candlelight vigil on Monday night, August 12 from 6pm  to 8pm to alert the community to patient care concerns at the hospital. Nurses say recently announced layoffs, chronic shortstaffing, and requiring nurses to work in units outside of their experience and expertise is putting patient care at risk. Mee Memorial Hospital CEO Michael Hutchinson said that none of the registered nurses have been affected by these layoffs and states that they're working with them internally about any concerns they may have adding that the cuts they've made involve people who work in Departments that are overstaffed. “We serve a very high-risk population: mothers with chronic disease like diabetes and chronic hypertension. These are patients who are at risk for bad outcomes, so it is imperative that we have enough staff, yet we are chronically understaffed,” said Margie Saiz, an obstetrics nurse at Mee Memorial. “We are

Monterey Salinas Transit announced during the week of August 5 that an expanded Free Fare Zone partnership with Hartnell College begins today for 1 year which offers students the ability to ride free on ALL MST routes at any day or at any time by simply presenting their valid student ID card to the bus driver. MST serves the Hartnell College Main Campus, the Alisal campus, and the Hartnell College south county campus in King City. In addition, MST also travels as far south as Paso Robles and Big Sur, and as far north as San Jose, and even offers service to Santa Cruz. The grant to pay for this program is in the amount of $100,000 from the State along with $20,000 matched from Hartnell College. For more information, call Monterey-Salinas Transit toll free at 1-888-MST-BUS1 or go online to www.mst.org. “Supporting students, education, and the environment together with Hartnell College is a win for the entire community”, stated MST General Manager/CEO, Carl Sedoryk. Taking advantage of

Two inmates were attacked during separate incidents at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad sometime late on Saturday morning, August 10. In one incident, two inmates attacked a third, and that inmate was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, while in the other incident, three inmates attacked a fourth inmate who was also taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries. The conditions of the inmates are unknown.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department is searching for 32-year-old Genaro Rendon Zamora who is wanted for violating his probation for receiving/purchasing stolen property. Rendon Zamora is Hispanic, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 165 pounds and his last known address is in Paso Robles. If you have any information on his whereabouts please contact the Sheriff's Office at 805-781-4550.

A fatal accident involving multiple vehicles occurred sometime after 10 pm on Wednesday night August 7 in the Templeton area. The CHP reports that 39-year-old Zi Tao Pan was driving his vehicle (2015 Honda Odyssey) eastbound on SR 46, while Federico Lopez Torres was driving Ramiro Valadez's vehicle (1997 Ford F-150) westbound on SR 46. Both vehicles were traveling towards the SR 41/SR 46 Intersection, known as the Cholame "Y". Pan entered the left turn lane to turn left in order to proceed northbound on SR 41 towards Fresno. As Pan was making a left hand turn within the intersection, he failed to observe the Ford approaching the intersection. Pan turned the Honda directly into the path of Torres who was unable to stop in time, colliding head-on. After the collision, both vehicles came to rest in a westerly direction on the north shoulder of SR 46 within the SR 41/SR 46 intersection. As a result of the collision, the right front passenger, of the Ford F-150, Casares, suc

At the the Southern Monterey County Republican Women Federated regular meeting and luncheon on Tuesday, August 6 at Lawrence's Restaurant in King City Dylan Temple, President Elect of the College Republicans at UC Santa Cruz talked about being a College Republican on one of the most liberal school campuses in the United States. Also talking were the 2019 SMCRWF scholarship recipients regarding what their future plans are moving forward. 2019 King City High School graduate Jessica Steele is looking to study Entomology at UC Davis and eventually get her Doctorate, while 2019 King City High School graduate Kayla Ettinger will be majoring in English at UC Irvine in the Fall and performing in the UCI Symphony Orchestra. Steele and Ettinger both received a $1000 scholarship.

Hundreds of people showed up to support National Night Out at the King City Fire Station on Tuesday evening, August 6. The cities of Greenfield, Soledad and Gonzales also took part in the festivities. National Night Out is an annual event that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer. There was public safety information provided at the event along with music, bike raffles, free hot dogs and so much more.

Over 40 people were on hand for a Town Hall meeting at Greenfield City Hall to talk about housing issues with District 30 Assemblymember Robert Rivas and District 3 Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez on Wednesday night, August 7. Employees from Monterey County, CCA, CHISPA, The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership and Monterey County Farm Bureau took part in the dialogue and answered questions that were presented to them.

On Friday, July 26 at approximately 12:50 pm, officers from the Greenfield Police Department were dispatched to a residence on the 10 block of 11th Street regarding a disturbance. Upon the officer’s arrival, it was determined that the argument was over a male having sex with a minor female. On Tuesday, July 30, the investigation was turned over to the Major Crimes Unit for further investigation. On Tuesday, August 6, at 5:30 pm the suspect, 31-year-old Santiago Ramirez of Greenfield was arrested without incident and booked into the Monterey County Jail and charged with Lewd Acts with a Child with a Ten-Year Age Difference along with Annoying or Molesting a Minor Under 18 years of age. The investigation is continuing. Anyone with further information in regards to this case is encouraged to contact Det. Leo Guzman at (831) 888-7168 or Det. Joshue Partida (831) 386-5991 of the Major Crimes Investigations Unit.  The Major Crimes Investigations Unit is a collaboration of the Greenfield a

On Tuesday, August 6 at 1 pm Officers from the King City Police Department were dispatched to a residence on the 100 block of River Drive regarding a disturbance between a male and a female subject. The officers determined that the disturbance was over a civil issue regarding the ownership of a vehicle and the male suspect pushed the female victim. During the investigation the officers located a marijuana growing operation in the back yard of the residence. There were 20 marijuana plants in various stages of growth which exceeded the 6 plant maximum allowed by California State Law for personal use. The suspect, 23-year-old Hugo Juarez claimed ownership of the plants and admitted to growing and caring for them. Juarez was issued citations for Battery and Cultivation of Cannabis. Had the plants been allowed to mature they could have yielded approximately 1 pound of processed cannabis with a street value of $700.00 to $1000.00. Anyone with further information regarding this case to call

Members Call on Senate Leader to Cancel Recess, Take Action  WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, August 7, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), a member of the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, and 213 Members of the House Democratic Caucus wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell demanding he immediately call the Senate back into session to pass H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, and H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act.  These bipartisan bills were passed by the House in February of this year and have been blocked for a vote by McConnell for more than 160 days.  A copy of the letter is below; it was signed by Representatives Alma S. Adams, Ph.D (NC-12), Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Cynthia Axne (IA-03), Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Ami Bera (CA-07), Don Beyer (VA-08), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-13), Anthony Brown (MD-04), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Cheri Bustos (

Hartnell College invites media and the public to an August 8 news conference and celebration to launch the Salinas Valley Promise scholarship program, the college’s most ambitious student success program ever. Beginning with the Fall 2019 semester, which starts Aug. 12, the Salinas Valley Promise is providing more than 600 first-time Hartnell students with leadership training, mentorship, a free laptop computer and free tuition, regardless of their family’s income. Full-time tuition and other program benefits will extend to a second year for participating students. The outdoor news conference, to begin at 11:30 a.m. on the Main Campus in Salinas, will include remarks by officials from four Salinas Valley governments that are joining with private philanthropists to fund the Promise. Private donors, the program’s director and newly enrolled students will also take part. Participants will gather on the central plaza of the campus at 411 Central Ave. and be available for individual m

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Monday, August 5 that 33-year-old Christopher Montoya of King City, pled no contest to murdering Daniel “Duke” Martinez and personally using a firearm in the commission of the murder. On September 3, 2018, Montoya and three others went to a house in Salinas to purchase marijuana. Montoya, while holding a .38 caliber revolver in his hand by his side, knocked on the back door of the house. The victim, who was a guest at the house, opened the door and he and Montoya began to argue. The confrontation turned physical and the victim hit Montoya one time before Montoya shot the victim in the head. After a period of time residents of the house called 911. Salinas police officers arrived and despite the attempted life saving measures, the victim was declared dead at the scene. The residents of the home were uncooperative with the police and their investigation. Nine days later, on September 12, 2018, the CHP got into a chase o

If you're looking for an easier way to check out what kind of events are going on at Fort Hunter Liggett then you may be in luck. Fort Hunter Liggett FMWR Director Charlemagne Tertulien was the guest speaker at a King City Chamber Luncheon at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds on Thursday, August 1 letting people know how much more accessible it can be for them to attend special events on the base if they purchase a $15 VIP Card.

If you're going to be doing some commuting during the week of August 4, 2019 be aware that there are some major scheduled road and lane closures on 101 in South Monterey County in place. Highway 101: East Garrison –  North San Miguel: August 5 –  August 9 Alternating lane closures are in place today until Friday along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between East Garrison and North San Miguel for pavement work from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Highway 101: Camp Roberts: August 5 – August 8 There is one lane closure that will be in effect tonight until Thursday night along northbound and southbound Highway 101 at Camp Roberts for nighttime paving work from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Highway 101: South Camp Roberts – East Garrison: Now  - August 30 There is one long-term lane closure now along the shoulders of southbound Highway 101 between South Camp Roberts and East Garrison for roadway excavation work until the end of the month.  Highway 101: San Ardo – San Lucas: Now - December 31 O

District 20 Congressman Jimmy Panetta stopped through King City on Wednesday, July 31 swinging on by to talk at a regular Rotary meeting and he also came by the the KRKC Country and KC102 studios to speak about a number of different topics. We discussed the tragic fatal shooting that occurred at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on Sunday, July 28 which killed 3 people and injured as many as a dozen people. Congressman Panetta also talked about an Ag Labor Bill he and another member of Congress recently introduced, what should be done to fix immigration, what should be done to curb gun violence and what he's trying to do to combat robocalls and scammers.

A brush fire that sparked sometime before 3 pm near Lake San Antonio off of Jolon Road and New Pleyto Road in Lockwood on Monday, July 29 is now fully contained. Cal Fire crews and other agencies were able to get a handle of the blaze sometime late on Monday night, July 29 and for the next 3 days gradually made sure that it did not get out of control. The vegetation fire ended up burning 316 acres. No one was hurt, while multiple structures were threatened. The cause of the fire is under investigation. 

According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office 2 people have been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting that killed 1 person outside of King City on Wednesday morning at 5:30 am. The incident occurred on the 52000 block of Oasis Road killing 42-year-old Benito Canales-Godinez. 27-year-old Ubaldo Martinez and 25-year-old Imeldo Merino, both in their 20s from Greenfield were named as suspects and were both arrested and booked into the Monterey County Jail sometime on Wednesday night, July 31. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office is investigating this shooting incident as a homicide. The Sheriff's Office served two search warrants and also recovered a gun. In addition, there reports from the King City Police Department that the incident is not gang related and that they don't know right now what the motive for the shooting was. Martinez and Merino are also going to be charged with three drive-by shootings that took place in Greenfield in May of 2019. Anyone wit