KRKC COUNTRY

On Tuesday, December 31 at 2:35 am Officers from the King City Police Department and Firefighters from the King City Fire Department were dispatched to a business located on the 300 block of South First Street regarding a vehicle fire. Upon the Officers and Firefighters arrival, three vehicles were fully engulfed by flames. Once the flames were extinguished by the firefighters the extent of the damages were determined to be a total loss of the three vehicles, smoke and fire damage to two other vehicles as well as smoke and fire damage to the building. The damages are believed to be approximately $60,0000. The ensuing parallel investigation between the Police and Fire Departments determined the fire was intentionally set. 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, and no other information is b

It's been about 3 months since ground broke to begin construction in Soledad for a new Premiere Cinemas movie theater off of Nestles Road and Los Coches Drive. Soledad Community Development Director Brent Slama said that the work being done now is progressing well and beginning to take shape. Slama stated that steel beams are up, while curbs, gutters and a parking lot have also been put in. The new Premiere Cinemas movie theater will create over 150 jobs in the city of Soledad and it will have 8 movie screens which will be expandable to 10. The work on this project is expected to be complete sometime in 2020.

The California Highway Patrol Maximum Enforcement Period will be in effect for the New Year's Holiday throughout Monterey County and the state. The MEP begins on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, at 6:01 pm and extends through Wednesday night, January 1, 2020, at 11:59 pm. Officers will be out in force working longer hours to ensure the safety of the motoring public. Areas of concerns for all CHP jurisdictions are collisions causing minor to fatal injuries. The CHP is very concerned for all of those collisions and violations where drivers are under the influence, or driving distracted, speeding or if there are unrestrained occupants in vehicles. Thus, the CHP will be strictly enforcing all laws though these holiday seasons. Please drive safely and responsibly during the holiday season.” According to the CHP there were 271 arrests made statewide during the December 24 & 25 holiday. 6 of the arrests occurred within Monterey County.

A 2 vehicle accident occurred on Friday morning, December 27 sometime after 11:30 am off of Paris Valley Road in San Ardo. A Mini Cooper and a white van were both involved in the collision. Both vehicles received moderate damage and ended up being towed from the scene. No one was injured, while the cause of the crash is under investigation.

According to the Greenfield Police Department 41-year-old Jose Reyes Tamayo was arrested sometime after Christmas for vandalizing Holy Trinity Church in Greenfield on Monday, December 23. The amount of damage done to the church is unknown.

On Monday, December 23 Paso Robles Police Officers along with San Luis Obispo County Probation Officers conducted a probation search on the 1100 block of Alamo Creek. During the search, Officers discovered a loaded .22 handgun inside the home. The gun was unreportedly stolen out of Templeton. Uriel Jimenez was arrested and charged with child endangerment, a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and for a PRCS hold, while Angel Jimenez was arrested and charged with child endangerment and a probation violation.

If you reside in Greenfield, Soledad or Gonzales and have a Christmas tree you want to do away with, Tri-Cities Disposal & Recycling will pick it up for you curbside for free beginning on Monday, January 6 until Friday, January 17. The Christmas trees left for pickup must have all tinsel or decorations on them removed. For more information about the Christmas tree collection pickup by Tri-Cities Disposal and Recycling give them a call at 888-678-6798 or go online www.tri-citiesdisposal.com.

WHAT: Free holiday tree recycling for residents in the Salinas Valley Drop-off at a recycling center, or curbside pick-up with your regular collection service. WHEN & WHERE: Curbside Pick-up Free with regularly scheduled curbside trash + recycling pick-up service: King City – December 26 – January 13 Unincorporated Monterey County – December 26 – January 13 Gonzales, Greenfield and Soledad – January 6-17 Salinas – January 2-23    Drop-off Saturday, December 26, 2019 through Sunday, January 31, 2020 Sun Street Transfer Station M-F 7 AM-5 PM, Sat 8 AM-4 PM 139 Sun St., Salinas  Johnson Canyon Landfill M-F 7 AM-4 PM, Sat-Sun 8 AM-4 PM 31400 Johnson Canyon Road, 2.5 miles east of Gonzales Jolon Road Transfer Station M-F 8 AM-4 PM, Sat 8 AM-12 Noon 52654 Jolon Rd, 4 miles west of King City on Jolon Road  WHY: Cut trees are composted, not land-filled. Recycling holiday trees reduces waste to the landfill & greenhouse gas production. Salinas Valley Recycles

“Maximum Enforcement Periods (MEP) have been used for many years by the CHP during specified holidays to help save lives by addressing primary collision factor violations, such as impaired driving, speed, and occupant restraints. They also assure a prompt response to any incident causing a hazard or traffic delay. Maximum Enforcement Period, will be in effect for the Christmas Holiday.  The maximum enforcement period (MEP) begins on Tuesday, December 24, 2019, at 6:01 pm and extends through Wednesday, December 25, 2019, at 11:59 pm. Maximum Enforcement Period will be in effect for the New Year Holiday.  The maximum enforcement period (MEP) begins on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, at 1801 hours and extends through Wednesday, January 1, 2020, at 2359 hours. Officers will be out in force and working longer hours to ensure the safety of the motoring public. Areas of concerns for all CHP jurisdictions are collisions causing minor to fatal injuries. The CHP is very concerned for all

WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, December 20, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) announced he co-introduced H.R. 5438, the End Valley Fever Now Act to address the potentially deadly disease caused by breathing in toxic spores found in soil. Congressman TJ Cox (CA-21) is the lead sponsor of the bill. "Cases of Valley Fever in communities across the Central Coast have skyrocketed over the last few years. The End Valley Fever Now Act will help train our local medical providers to diagnose and treat those exposed to this disease. It will also help us to be more proactive in vaccine development by collecting critical clinical data," said Congressman Panetta. "Our legislation is an important step forward in combatting this disease and protecting our community members." "Valley Fever can be deadly and troubling data shows it’s only going to get worse with climate change," said Congressman Cox. "In discussions across the Central Valley and at my valley feve

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Friday, December 20 that the subject of an officer involved shooting, which occurred on the evening of Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 28715 Old Stage Road in Monterey County, has been charged with 3 counts of attempted murder of a police officer, felony evasion of a police officer, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, a felony. At about 8:24 p.m., Salinas police officer Evan Adams attempted to stop 42-year-old Daniel Macias Victoria for vehicle code violations within the city limits of Salinas. Officer Adams activated his emergency lights and siren, but Victoria failed to yield. He led several officers, driving marked patrol cars, on a pursuit. During the pursuit, Victoria fired a handgun twice at Salinas police officer Daniel Garcia who followed immediately behind him in a marked patrol car. The first time, Victoria reached out the driver’s window of his truck and pointed the

According to the Centers for Disease Control, cases of people getting sick due to an E. coli outbreak connected to lettuce grown in Salinas has risen to 138 people in 25 states. The CDC reports that more data has come through indicating that 138 people in 25 states have been reported with E. coli. Of those victims, 72 people have been hospitalized and no one has died. While a recall was in effect, no lettuce has come from Salinas since the outbreak was reported and Salinas lettuce is no longer on supermarket shelves. A second E. coli outbreak connected to a Salinas company was reported earlier in December of 2019 and the CDC reported that it was a different strain of E. coli.

During a special meeting that was held on Thursday night, December 19 in the Greenfield City Council Chambers the Council approved City Manager Paul Wood's recommendation after 1 to 2 hours of Closed session discussion to terminate Police Chief Denise Oglesby by a vote of 4 to 1. Oglesby who has over over 30 years of experience in law enforcement was sworn in as Greenfield Police Chief on December 20, 2017, but was put on Administrative leave sometime in June of 2019 for personnel reasons and since then Police Captain James Hunt has run the Department as the interim Police Chief. No reasons were provided by the Council regarding why Oglesby was fired.

WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, December 19, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) voted for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) implementing legislation, which included improvements negotiated by the Democratic Majority of the United States House of Representatives. "Our agriculture on the central coast of California relies heavily on our leading trade partners Canada and Mexico. The USMCA will provide our farmers and ranchers with improved and continued access to those critical export markets and give them the certainty that they deserve. "The agreement provides relief from non-tariff barriers by requiring agriculture food safety measures to be based on sound science, and increases transparency for biotechnology standards transparency.   Moreover, the USMCA increases market access for dairy, poultry, and eggs, and ends discrimination of California wine in Canadian stores. "When the administration first presented the USMCA to Congress earlier this

Gonzales High School Head Football Coach Art Berlanga will be recognized during the second weekend in February 2020 in San Francisco with the Semper Fi Award from the U.S. Marine Corps and Glazier Clinics. The announcement was made sometime during the first week of December 2019. The Semper Fi Award goes out to Coaches who show faithfulness to their team and who demonstrate the Marine standard of excellence in developing leaders. In 2018 Coach Berlanga helped guide his squad to an 11 and 1 overall record as they took home the Santa Lucia Division title and were able earn a 1st round win in the Central Coast Section Division 4 Playoffs, while the Gonzales High School Football team finished 7 and 3 overall during the 2019 season placing 2nd in the Cypress Division as they just barely missed going to the Postseason.

WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, December 19, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) introduced bipartisan legislation to restore eligibility to servicemembers seeking to transfer their educational benefits to dependents. The Post-9/11 GI Bill Transferability Entitlement Act ensures that all servicemembers who have completed ten years of service in the Armed Forces are eligible to transfer their benefits to dependents at any time – both while serving on active duty and as a veteran. A recent Department of Defense policy change requires servicemembers to commit an additional four years of military service at the time of their application to transfer benefits. The policy change also prevents servicemembers with more than sixteen years of military service from transferring education benefits to their eligible dependents. "By requiring additional years of military service to transfer educational benefits to dependents, the administration is breaking our commitment to military fa

WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, December 18, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) voted for House Resolution 755, impeaching President Donald Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors, including abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.   "I did not come to Congress to impeach the President.  But, I swore an oath to protect our country and defend the constitution.  That is why, today, I voted to approve two articles of impeachment against this President for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.    "In order to arrive at that solemn and somber conclusion, I used many of the same skills that I acquired early on as a former prosecutor.  By putting politics and emotions aside to focus on the underlying evidence and applying those facts to the articles of impeachment, I found it clear that the President subverted our national interest for his own personal and political interest.  The President then repeatedly ignored and refused to cooperate with the numerou

MONTEREY COUNTY – Here are the major scheduled road and lane closures for Monterey County from Sunday, December 15 through Saturday, December 22. Highway 101: Broadway –  Jolon Road: December 18    One lane closure will occur along northbound Highway 101 between Broadway and Jolon Road for bridge work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Highway 101: Wild Horse – First Street, King City: Now – January 2020 One long-term lane closure will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between Wild Horse Road and First Street for roadway excavation work from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. Highway 101: San Ardo – San Lucas: Now - December 31 One long-term lane closure will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between the Paris Valley Road overcrossing and the Rancho undercrossing for grinding and paving work. Highway 101: Monterey Road – East Garrison, San Luis Obispo County: Dec. 16 – Dec. 20 One long-term alternating lane closure will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101

People who were out and about around the tip of South Monterey County and throughout San Luis Obispo County felt a 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit the area at 10:30 am on Tuesday, December 17. The jolt was also be felt by some residents near Soledad and King City. The US Geological Survey reports that the earthquake hit a couple miles north of Cholame. No injuries or damages were reported.

The Salinas Police Department is looking for anyone who is responsible for a fatal hit and run accident that killed a Gonzales Police Officer on Sunday, December 8 in Salinas. The incident happened off of John and Work Street near the railroad tracks killing 45-year-old Channy Ayala of Greenfield who died of her injuries. The Salinas PD has identified a suspected vehicle thanks to the cooperation from the business community and their surveillance cameras. The suspected vehicle is a 2nd Generation (1994-2002) white Dodge Ram extended cab truck. There should be visible damage to the right front bumper/grill area.  After reviewing surveillance video, the Salinas PD was able to follow the suspected vehicle to the area of Williams Road and Del Monte Avenue. However, the Salinas Police Department still needs help from the public with identifying the driver/owner and license plate number. If anyone has information please contact Officer Seth Morten (sethm@ci.salinas.ca.us) 831 758-7017 or i

(Salinas) – Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) is launching his inaugural, “There Ought to Be a Law” program. Residents of Assembly District 30 are invited to submit ideas for state legislation. “California faces a number of challenges. Solutions to the issues facing our community should not come from Sacramento alone,” said Rivas. “I know that there are engaged residents in our community who have ideas on how government can work better for Californians.” Proposals can be anything from bold new programs to simple, common sense fixes to existing law that more effectively address the needs of local communities. “Whether you have a big new idea, or a simple fix to improve past legislation, I look forward to hearing from you,” said Rivas. “Elected officials don’t have a monopoly on good ideas. In fact, I’ve already received great suggestions from constituents that have led to successful legislation. The goal of this program is to encourage even more people to get involved and b

On Monday, December 16 at 2:45 pm 20-year-old Joshua Alexander Sims of Paso Robles was driving his 2002 Ford Focus at a high rate of speed while traveling northbound on River Road in the Templeton area (County of San Luis Obispo maintained roadway) approximately 1.75 miles north of River Oaks Drive. Sims failed to negotiate a curve to the left before losing control of his vehicle and the Ford Focus rotated in a clockwise motion as it slid across the roadway surface and impacted a wire fence while the vehicle began overturning. Sims was not utilizing the occupant restraint system (seatbelt) and was subsequently ejected from his vehicle during the course of the vehicle rolling over. As a result, Sims suffered major injuries and was transported by San Luis Ambulance to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center located in San Luis Obispo. Sims may have been using his cell phone and was possibly distracted while driving which may have been a contributing factor in this collision occurring. How

King City Rotary on Wednesday night, December 11 at their Christmas party announced that Josh Potts has been named as their 2018-19 King City Rotarian of the year. Potts has been in King City Rotary since 2003 serving as Treasurer, President and District Treasurer of the Club. Potts' efforts with the club have also included helping out with the King City Flea Market, the Crab Feed along with other Barbecue Fundraisers.

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office on Thursday, December 12 identified a suspect who is in critical condition after an officer-involved shooting on Wednesday night, December 11 as 42-year-old Daniel Macias-Victoria. According to the Salinas Police Department Macias-Victoria led them on a chase and fired a gun at officers. The pursuit ended after a standoff close to Old Stage Road near Gonzales. The Monterey County District Attorney's Office also stated that Macias-Victoria is a suspect in a Chinatown-area attempted homicide in Salinas on Monday morning, December 9. The victim involved in that incident is expected to be okay. In addition, back July of 2018, a 24-year-old woman reported to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department that she had been sexually abused by Macias-Victoria when she was a child in King City. After the first woman accused him of sexual abuse, two other potential victims came forward claiming that Macias-Victoria touched them inappropriat

WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, December 12, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) voted to pass H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, to lower drug prices, expand Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing services, and invest in research for treatment and cures. "The costs of prescription drugs have been an increasing burden on seniors and families on the Central Coast. No one should feel forced to ration their medication, or choose between paying their bills and filling a prescription," said Congressman Panetta. "With the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, we will bring down prescription drug costs for all consumers, Medicare beneficiaries and those with private insurance alike."  The Lower Drug Costs Now Act would: Give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companies to bring down prices and create powerful new tools to force drug companies to the table to agree to real price reductions. Make the lower drug prices

On Wednesday night, December 11 at 8:24 PM, the Salinas Police Department was involved in a vehicle pursuit of a man suspected of committing a recent attempted murder. During the pursuit the suspect fired a gun at officers.The pursuit continued between Salinas and Gonzales near Old Stage Road. When the suspect's vehicle stopped, the driver again opened fire at officers. Several officers returned fire and struck the suspect who was transported to a nearby Hospital and is in critical condition. The District Attorney's office is conducting the investigation concerning the shooting. Anyone with information, or questions related to the investigation, is encouraged to call the Monterey County District Attorney's Office at (831) 755-5070

Multiple law enforcement agencies were on the scene for a shooting and standoff that occurred near Gonzales close to Old Stage Road and Associated Lane sometime between 9pm and 10 pm on Wednesday night, December 11. According to the Salinas Police Department, the incident began with a pursuit and a suspect fired shots at an officer. The chase ended close to Old Stage Road as more shots were fired and the suspect was taken into custody. No injuries have been reported at this time as the incident is still under investigation. More information will be provided once it becomes available. 

WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, December 12, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) supported passage of the conference report on the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Congressman Panetta successfully incorporated numerous provisions to the bipartisan, bicameral conference report that strengthen programs and priorities for Central Coast defense installations and entities, address military housing issues, and keep the United States in international military alliances and treaties. The measure will soon go to the President’s desk for signature into law.  Support for Local Defense Installations Congressman Panetta secured a provision allowing civilian academic faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and the Defense Language Institute to hold the copyright for scholarly work produced outside of their assigned duties. This revision to Professional Military Education will allow the Department of Defense to recruit and retain top tier civilian faculty across t

 WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, December 11, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill spearheaded by U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25), passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a 260-165 vote. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a bipartisan solution for America’s agriculture industry and farmworkers by providing stability, predictability, and fairness to one of the most critical sectors of our nation’s economy. The legislation was negotiated over several months with input from agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations and was introduced with the support of 26 Democrats and 23 Republicans. Click here for a one-pager and click here for bill text. “The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a critical, bipartisan step forward for both our farmers and farmworkers,” Congressman Panetta said. “I am thankful that the House

On Tuesday, December 10, the Salinas police Department released the name of the worker who was killed in an industrial accident on Monday night, December 9 as 42-year-old Jose Luis Castro of Soledad. The SPD reports that Castro was tragically killed at a Salinas semi truck yard off of West Lake Street as a vehicle came off a jack stand falling onto him adding that they believe that there was either mechanical failure or operator error involved. Castro was discovered by someone after the accident. There are dozens of semi trucks and trailers in the yard where the accident occurred. The Salinas Police Department said that it doesn't appear as though this was a crime.

King City, CA — King City's Mee Memorial Hospital announced recently that they've launched improved emergency services in partnership with Vituity (www.vituity.com), a leading emergency services provider based in Emeryville, California. The new partnership is in response to community survey results showing a desire for faster and higher quality emergency department care, with a better patient experience. The transformation of the emergency department with Vituity is a key part of Mee’s mission, vision, and strategic plan to provide the highest quality healthcare for South Monterey County. Vituity is a multispecialty physician-owned and led partnership that specializes in providing acute care 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 more than 300 practice locations across the United

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, December 10, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) voted for the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act, H.R. 729, a package of ten bipartisan bills that aid coastal ecosystems and economies, improve ocean monitoring and research, and offer coastal managers tools to protect coastal communities most vulnerable to climate impacts. Congressman Panetta successfully incorporated a bipartisan amendment to encourage collaborations and partnerships between institutions of higher education and federal agencies to expand and improve the data sets used for coastal management. "This bill helps communities like mine on the central coast of California prepare for and respond to climate change, and uses scientific data to address coastal and ocean management. Importantly, this bill establishes NOAA’s Digital Coast Program, a web-based collection of, tools, training resources, and data that inform coastal managers making climate-related decisions," sa

MONTEREY COUNTY – Here are the major scheduled road and lane closures for Monterey County from Sunday, December 8 through Saturday, December 14 – newest information is in red. Please keep in mind that construction work is weather-dependent. Highway 101: San Ardo – San Lucas: Now - December 31 One long-term lane closure will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between the Paris Valley Road overcrossing and the Rancho undercrossing for grinding and paving work. Highway 101: Broadway –  Jolon Road: December 10 – December 13    One lane and ramp closure will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between Broadway and Jolon Road for bridge work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Highway 101: Wild Horse – First Street, King City: Now – January 2020 One long-term lane closure will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101 between Wild Horse Road and First Street for roadway excavation work from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m.

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, December 10, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) released the following statement after Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal announced a deal with United States Trade Representative Ambassador Lighthizer on the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement. "I am encouraged by the agreement announced by Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Neal this morning. I appreciate the efforts of the Working Group to negotiate a better deal than both NAFTA and the renegotiated USMCA of 2018, which fell short of our expectations. The group has worked hard to include in the agreement strong, enforceable standards that protect our environment and our workers, and preserve access to affordable medicines. Prior to voting on this hemispheric agreement, I look forward to reviewing the final text of the legislation that can be looked upon as a template for future U.S. trade agreements." In October, Congressman Panetta, a member of the House

A 42-year-old man from Soledad was tragically killed in an industrial accident at a Salinas semi truck yard off of West Lake Street on Monday, December 10.The Monterey County Coroner's office reports that the vehicle came off a jack stand falling onto a mechanic who may have been alone. The man was discovered by someone after the accident. There are dozens of semi trucks and trailers in the yard where the accident occurred. The Salinas Police Department said it doesn't appear as though this was a crime, while the identity of the man who was killed in the accident has not yet been released.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday, December 9 issued a food safety alert for E. coli infections linked to a salad kit made by a Salinas company. The CDC states that some Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kits have been linked to a string of E. coli. Eight people in three states have been reported as ill, while three people were hospitalized. The salad kits have the identifying information: UPC 0 71279 30906 4, beginning with lot code Z, and a best-before date up to and including 07DEC19. The CDC has not issued a recall for this product which comes after an E. coli outbreak connected to romaine lettuce grown in Salinas had 102 reported cases with 58 people being hospitalized.

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, December 9, the For Country Caucus formally endorsed Congressman Jimmy Panetta’s (CA-20) bipartisan legislation, the Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act, H.R. 3749. The Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide grants to organizations that provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness. The legislation, as amended, would also appropriate at least $20 million to organizations that have a focus on providing assistance to women veterans and their families. In backing the initiative, the bipartisan For Country Caucus, a group of military veteran Members of Congress, has come together to support providing resources and assistance to vulnerable veteran populations. The Caucus is hopeful the legislation will be swiftly brought to the House floor for a vote. "Accessing legal aid should not be an added hurdle for veterans struggling with or on the brink of homelessne

San Ardo, Calif. – Five local teachers in South Monterey County were recently awarded a total of $2,500 in “Impact Grants” by Aera Energy. The Aera grants provide financial support for educational programming that enhances the academic development of students. Applicants must apply for the grants and provide a description of their desired project, how students will be impacted and how success of the project will be measured. “There’s nothing much better than watching students get excited about reading or science,” said Kathy Miller, Aera public affairs coordinator for Monterey County. “When teachers are able to bring new activities and materials to the classroom, great things happen for students.” A $500 grant was awarded to San Lucas Union School District teacher Tom Carvey, Aera’s first-ever grant to that school district. “Students are fascinated by things that fly,” said Carvey, who teachers grades 6-8. “With the grant, I was able to purchase water bottle rockets, kites and

The Centers for Disease Control and partners continue to investigate an outbreak of E. coli infections reported during the week if November 24, 2019 linked to romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, Calif., and distributed nationally. 102 people have gotten sick from 23 states as of Wednesday, December 4, 2019. The CDC continues to remind people that if you have romaine lettuce or products that contain romaine with labels saying “grown in Salinas,” don’t eat them. This advice includes all brands and use-by dates. Throw them away. Greenhouse grown and hydroponic lettuce are not included in the warning. If the lettuce isn’t labeled with a growing region, or if you don’t know whether your salad mix or wrap contains romaine, don’t eat them. You can read the latest information online by going to: https://go.usa.gov/xpXg8.

Monterey, CA – Effective Friday, December 6, 2019 at 8:00 am, the burn permit suspension in San Benito and Monterey Counties will be lifted. CAL FIRE San Benito-Monterey Unit Chief David Fulcher is formally cancelling the burn permit suspension and advises that those possessing current and valid agriculture and residential burn permits can now resume burning on permissible burn days. Agriculture burns must be inspected by CAL FIRE prior to burning until the end of the peak fire season. Inspections may be required for burns other than agriculture burns as well. This can be verified by contacting the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD). CAL FIRE burn permits will be required. Cooler temperatures, higher humidity’s and the chance of winter weather have helped to begin to diminish the threat of wildfire. Property owners and residents are asked to use caution while conducting debris or agriculture burns, follow all guidelines provided, and maintain control of the fire at all time

WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, December 4, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the administration will increase requirements for hungry Americans using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as CalFresh in California, and weaken states’ ability to provide food assistance in high-unemployment areas. "The administration’s decision will make it harder for the poorest and most vulnerable on the Central Coast and across the country to put food on the table. Since Congress overwhelmingly voted against this kind of policy in the 2018 Farm Bill, this administration has made multiple attempts to take away critical nutrition assistance from CalFresh recipients. USDA’s mission is to ‘do right and feed everyone.’ The administration’s decision will make it harder to do that and properly address hunger in our communities."

WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, December 4, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) voted for the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act. The bipartisan, bicameral agreement requires phone companies to offer screening technology to identify and block spam robocalls at no cost to customers. The legislation passed 417-3. "Robocallers use all sorts of tactics, including fake phone numbers, to trick us to answer their calls. This bill will help to prevent those kinds of abusive practices by robocallers and give law enforcement the ability to quickly go after scammers," said Congressman Panetta. "I urge the Senate to pass this bill swiftly and get it onto the President’s desk so that it can be signed into law." This bill is a result of negotiations that merged the Senate-passed TRACED Act and the House-passed Stopping Bad Robocalls Act. The Pallone-Thune TRACED Act will cut back on unlawful robocalls made to l