KRKC COUNTRY

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Thursday, December 31 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 27,859 people, while 175,057 people have been tested in the County. 8,704 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,454 in King City, 1,786 in Greenfield, 4,235 in Soledad, 944 in Gonzales, 77 in San Ardo, 141 in Chualar, 41 in San Lucas while 26 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,785 are from person to person transmissions, 5,048 have come from community transmissions, 202 are currently hospitalized, 193 people have died, 13,113 people have recovered, 13,477 are under investigation and 3,132 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

Monterey, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Wednesday, December 30 that her Consumer Protection Unit, along with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, has entered into a final stipulated judgment with Minnesota-based Fastenal Company that resolves allegations that it charged walk-in retail customers undisclosed “shipping and handling” fees, and failed to conspicuously display the price of each good along with any surcharges to the consumer at the time that the item is rung up in the electronic checkout system. Fastenal Company sells industrial and construction supplies at its 138 retail facilities in California. Many of these stores are open to the public for walk-in retail sales, including at its branch stores in Seaside, Salinas, and Soledad. Since at least 2015, prosecutors alleged that Fastenal Company sold certain in-stock goods to walk-in customers at these stores witho

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Wednesday, December 30 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 27,289 people, while 173,570 people have been tested in the County. 8,565 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,420 in King City, 1,753 in Greenfield, 4,179 in Soledad, 935 in Gonzales, 77 in San Ardo, 140 in Chualar, 38 in San Lucas while 23 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,779 are from person to person transmissions, 5,047 have come from community transmissions, 191 are currently hospitalized, 190 people have died, 12,935 people have recovered, 13,029 are under investigation and 3,122 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

PASO ROBLES, CA – On December 21 through December 23 the Paso Robles Police Department CAT team facilitated a trash cleanup in the Salinas Riverbed. A local company was contracted and removed 9,430 pounds of trash from the southeast and northeast end of the riverbed at a cost of $7,570. Crews will again be in the riverbed during the week of December 27, 2020 cleaning the northwest end of the riverbed. This is an ongoing process until the rains limit their access into the riverbed.

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Tuesday, December 29 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 26,752 people, while 172,706 people have been tested in the County. 8,343 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,409 in King City, 1,707 in Greenfield, 4,029 in Soledad, 919 in Gonzales, 76 in San Ardo, 139 in Chualar, 38 in San Lucas while 26 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,774 are from person to person transmissions, 5,047 have come from community transmissions, 180 are currently hospitalized, 190 people have died, 12,934 people have recovered, 12,487 are under investigation and 3,122 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

SALINAS, California—Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced that on on Thursday, December 17, 2020 a jury found 38-year-old Marcelo De Jesus of Greenfield guilty of child abuse. On November 14, 2019, a 15-year-old girl skipped school and went to the movies with her friends. When she reached home, the defendant brought her into a bedroom and lashed her with a belt several times. The lashings left several welts on her body. The girl's sisters called 911 crying on the line, stating that her father was hitting her sister. The 15-year-old girl was screaming in the background. Greenfield police officers responded to the 911 call and heard multiple female voices crying and screaming from the bedroom at an increasing volume. Due to the circumstances of someone or multiple people possibly being hurt, the responding officers busted open the front door after no one inside answered their knocks. The police arrested the defendant and notified Child Protective Servic

Major scheduled road and lane closures for South Monterey County from Sunday, December 27 through Saturday, January 2. Highway 101: Lockwood/San Lucas Road: Dec. 28 – Dec. 31 There will be full closure of the on and off ramps on northbound & southbound Highway 101 at Lockwood/San Lucas Road for excavation work, Monday – Wednesday. The on and off ramps will be closed from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday. Highway 101: Wild Horse Road – First Street, King City: Dec. 28 – Dec. 31 There will be one lane closure along northbound and southbound Highway 101, as well as full closure of the on/off ramps of the highway from Wild Horse Road to First Street Road in King City for striping and other miscellaneous work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Wednesday. The lane closure will occur from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday. Highway 101: Jolon Road – First Street (southbound), King City: Dec. 28 – Dec. 31 There will be one lane closure along southbound Highway 101 from Jolon Road to First Stre

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Sunday, December 27 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 25,520 people, while 170,880 people have been tested in the County. 7,994 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,329 in King City, 1,598 in Greenfield, 3,916 in Soledad, 880 in Gonzales, 76 in San Ardo, 134 in Chualar, 37 in San Lucas while 24 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,770 are from person to person transmissions, 5,046 have come from community transmissions, 168 are currently hospitalized, 186 people have died, 12,925 people have recovered, 11,267 are under investigation and 3,122 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

A fire sparked at an auto repair shop in Chualar off of Grant Street on Christmas morning Friday, December 25 sometime after 4 am. According to the Monterey County Regional Fire District, 10 to 15 residents were evacuated nearby for safety reasons. The MCRFD was assisted by the Salinas Fire Department, the Gonzales Fire Department, the Correctional Training Facility Fire Department, the Soledad Fire Department, the North County Fire Department and the Presidio of Monterey Fire Department. The blaze was contained sometime before 12 pm. The auto repair shop picked up major damage from the fire, while another auto repair shop to the north was also damaged. No injuries were reported, while the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Major scheduled road and lane closures for South Monterey County from Sunday, December 20 through Saturday, December 27. Highway 101: Jolon Road (Bradley): Dec. 21 – Dec. 23 There will be one lane closure along northbound and southbound Highway 101 at Jolon Road in Bradley for emergency repair work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Highway 101: Lockwood/San Lucas Road: Dec. 21 – Dec. 24 There will be full closure of the on and off ramps on northbound & southbound Highway 101 at Lockwood/San Lucas Road for excavation work Monday – Wednesday. The on and off ramps will be closed from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday. Highway 101: Wild Horse Road – First Street, King City: Dec. 21 – Dec. 24 There will be one lane closure along northbound and southbound Highway 101, as well as full closure of the on/off ramps of the highway from Wild Horse Road to First Street Road in King City for striping and other miscellaneous work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Wednesday. The lane closure will occur fr

COVID-19 data refresh reported from Friday, December 18 shows the highest single day number of reported cases during the pandemic. About half of the new cases reported on December 18 come from a backlog of state prison inmate cases. These cases occurred over the last several weeks. Monterey County Health Department bulk processed the inmate population cases on Thursday, December 17 with assistance from the California Department of Public Health. The other half of the cases included in the data refresh from December 18 reflect a change in internal workflow processes and an extensive data cleaning process conducted on December 17, again with assistance from the California Department of Public Health. The community-based cases reported on December 18 are distributed over several days on the published data charts and tables. https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/health/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/2019-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-local-data-10219 The

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Friday, December 18 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 22,255 people, while 157,473 people have been tested in the County. 6,885 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,192 in King City, 1,414 in Greenfield, 3,247 in Soledad, 797 in Gonzales, 76 in San Ardo, 111 in Chualar, 24 in San Lucas while 24 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,706 are from person to person transmissions, 5,026 have come from community transmissions, 151 are currently hospitalized, 170 people have died, 12,448 people have recovered, 8,407 are under investigation and 3,103 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, December 17 Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) was joined by Representatives Clay Higgins (R-LA), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Greg Steube (R-FL), Cindy Axne (D-IA), and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) to introduce the bipartisan Priority Response for Veterans Impacted by Disasters and Emergencies (PROVIDE) Act. The PROVIDE Act directs the VA Secretary to ensure that veterans impacted by major disasters are eligible for expedited processing of disability claims. Moreover, the legislation would establish flexible evidence requirements for veterans that experienced major disasters, such as wildfires. Currently, evidence requirements for such claims fail to take into account that documents may have been damaged or destroyed. The Representatives’ legislation would provide greater flexibility as to the type of evidence required for such VA disability claims. “In the wake of major disasters, which the Central Coast experienced this year with wildfires, the VA needs to pro

Monterey, CA – Effective Monday, December 21, 2020 at 8:00 a.m., the burn permit suspension in San Benito and Monterey Counties will be lifted. CAL FIRE San Benito-Monterey Acting Unit Chief Reno DiTullio Jr. 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. Residential burn permits are available at https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov/. While cooler temperatures have helped to diminish the threat of wildfire, property owners and residents are asked to use caution while conducting debris or agriculture burns. Always use caution when burning,

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Thursday, December 17 that 23-year-old Jose Saul Flores Orellana of Salinas has been sentenced to prison for gross vehicular manslaughter with intoxication. On July 4, 2019, at 2:44 p.m., Orellana was driving his Honda Accord at a high rate of speed on Arroyo Seco Road and around Clark Road in Soledad when he lost control of the Honda he was driving. The vehicle careened off the road, overturned, and landed in a drainage ditch by the road. Orellana’s passenger, 23-year-old Jose Antonio Escobar of Salinas died due to major blunt force trauma from the collision. When California Highway Patrol officers contacted Orellana, they noticed that he smelled of alcohol. Upon inquiry, Orellana admitted to drinking a couple of beers earlier that day. A DUI investigation was conducted, and Orellana failed a series of Field Sobriety Tests, which are tests made to aid police officers in determining whether a pe

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Thursday, December 17 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 18,951 people, while 157,457 people have been tested in the County. 5,284 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,088 in King City, 1,311 in Greenfield, 1,937 in Soledad, 738 in Gonzales, 68 in San Ardo, 104 in Chualar, 21 in San Lucas while 17 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,679 are from person to person transmissions, 5,012 have come from community transmissions, 145 are currently hospitalized, 167 people have died, 12,343 people have recovered, 5,183 are under investigation and 3,098 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

On Thursday, December 17 at 6 am King City Police Officers served a search warrant at a residence located off of the 300 block of Division Street in King City. During the search warrant Officers came across several items of stolen property. A total of $6,500 worth of items were recovered as of December 17 and as a result of this investigation from burglaries that occurred in King City between November 16 and November 23 of 2020. 23-year-old Andy Mendez was arrested on suspicion of burglary, narcotics possession, and felon in possession of ammunition. 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 being released at this time.

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Wednesday, December 16 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 18,507 people, while 155,943 people have been tested in the County. 5,200 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,078 in King City, 1,296 in Greenfield, 1,893 in Soledad, 726 in Gonzales, 68 in San Ardo, 103 in Chualar, 19 in San Lucas while 17 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,649 are from person to person transmissions, 5,000 have come from community transmissions, 148 are currently hospitalized, 167 people have died, 12,257 people have recovered, 4,819 are under investigation and 3,096 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

As Bay Area nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients receive the first, small batches of a rigorously tested vaccine, the region’s Health Officers see hope: we now have a critical tool to help fight this pandemic. These vaccinations in acute care hospital settings follow a federal and state framework adopted locally that will also soon protect those living in skilled nursing facilities, settings where elderly, vulnerable members of our communities are more likely to have severe illness and die from COVID-19. As vaccine supplies grow to eventually include other groups, the Bay Area’s Health Officers and federal officials believe these safe and effective vaccines will work in tandem with the daily habits and essential public health work that will ultimately end the pandemic. Those key steps to fight the pandemic include public health work to protect high-risk groups and health care workers, identifying and isolating cases, and also tracing

F&M Auto Repair and the Soledad Police Department are still accepting unwrapped gifts for the 2020 Toy Drive in Soledad.

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Tuesday, December 15 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 18,221 people, while 153,641 people have been tested in the County. 5,128 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,064 in King City, 1,285 in Greenfield, 1,857 in Soledad, 716 in Gonzales, 67 in San Ardo, 103 in Chualar, 19 in San Lucas while 17 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,618 are from person to person transmissions, 4,998 have come from community transmissions, 133 are currently hospitalized, 165 people have died, 12,203 people have recovered, 4,598 are under investigation and 3,089 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

Because Monterey County hospitals are nearing ICU capacity due to the current surge in COVID 19 cases locally, Monterey County is now subject to the new Regional Stay at Home order as of Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 10:00 p.m. The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office will file violations of the new Regional Stay Home Order investigated by law enforcement agencies provable beyond a reasonable doubt, and will conduct investigations of businesses to ensure compliance, including businesses previously contacted concerning previous orders. It is critical that businesses familiarize themselves with these new orders and ensure they are operating in compliance. The new Regional Stay at Home Order, dated December 3, 2020, issued by the Acting State Public Health Officer is available here. A Supplement to the new Regional Stay at Home Order, dated December 6, 2020, issued by the Acting State Public Health Officer is available here. The Monterey County Health Officer’s Order, da

One vehicle crashed into an AT&T service pole outside of King City on Highway 101 Southbound north of the Central Avenue offramp at 11:56 am on Monday, December 14. No injuries were reported, while the cause of the accident is unknown.

Major scheduled road and lane closures for South Monterey County from Sunday, December 13 through Saturday, December 19 are as follows: Highway 101: Lockwood/San Lucas Road: Dec. 14 – Dec. 18 There will be full closure of the on and off ramps on northbound & southbound Highway 101 at Lockwood/San Lucas Road for excavation work Monday – Thursday. The on and off ramps will be closed from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Highway 101: First Street – Jolon Road (northbound), King City: Dec. 2 – Spring 2021 There will be one lane closure along northbound Highway 101 from First Street to Jolon Road in King City for excavation work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Highway 101: Layous – First Street, King City: Long-Term Closure There will be one lane closure along northbound and southbound Highway 101 from Layous to First Street in King City for pavement work from 9:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Please keep in mind that construction work is weather-dependent.

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Monday, December 14 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 17,926 people, while 150,333 people have been tested in the County. 5,034 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,045 in King City, 1,264 in Greenfield, 1,812 in Soledad, 710 in Gonzales, 67 in San Ardo, 101 in Chualar, 18 in San Lucas while 17 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,597 are from person to person transmissions, 4,984 have come from community transmissions, 127 are currently hospitalized, 158 people have died, 12,176 people have recovered, 4,337 are under investigation and 3,089 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

On Monday, December 14 at about 12:02 am a vehicle was stopped for multiple traffic violations off of the 200 block of South 1st Street within King City. After an investigation was done, the driver 24-year-old Michael Brooks-Rose of San Jose was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated, possession of narcotics and bringing narcotics into a penal institution, while the passenger 30-year-old Kenneth Hopes of Sacramento was also arrested for suspicion of a felon being in possession of a firearm, ammunition, large capacity magazine, possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle and public intoxication. Anyone with further information regarding this case is encouraged to call the King City Police Department at (831) 386-5980; Sergeant Shaw at (831) 386-5996 or the WeTip line at 1-800-78-CRIME. Your call may remain completely anonymous. The investigation is continuing and no other information is being released at this time.

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Sunday, December 13 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 17,635 people, while 149,116 people have been tested in the County. 4,949 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,029 in King City, 1,248 in Greenfield, 1,772 in Soledad, 703 in Gonzales, 64 in San Ardo, 98 in Chualar, 18 in San Lucas while 17 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,594 are from person to person transmissions, 4,981 have come from community transmissions, 124 are currently hospitalized, 156 people have died, 12,169 people have recovered, 4,078 are under investigation and 3,089 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

SALINAS, CA – On Sunday, December 13 Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) released the following statement following Katherine Tai’s nomination to serve as U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) under the Biden-Harris Administration: “I congratulate Katherine Tai on her well-deserved nomination to serve as U.S. Trade Representative and commend the President-elect for his excellent choice.” “As a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, I have had the pleasure of seeing Katherine’s incredible acumen for trade policy at work. During USMCA negotiations, I was continually impressed by her ability to work with members of Congress across the political landscape, labor and environmental stakeholders, agricultural producers, and the business community. Her skill and unmatched work ethic helped get this landmark agreement over the finish line and into effect. And as a former leader in the office of the USTR’s China enforcement efforts, Katherine is well-suited to r

Floral entrepreneur and philanthropist Toshikiyo “Andy” Matsui, who passed away on Friday, December 11, will be long remembered for higher education support that transformed the lives of scores of hundreds of Hartnell College students and will benefit countless more for decades to come. Matsui was a multimillion-dollar founding scholarship donor to the Computer Science in 3 (CSin3) program, a degree partnership between Hartnell and Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB). That groundbreaking initiative, begun in 2013, is acclaimed for its success in graduating women and minority students, who have long been underrepresented in computer science and other STEM-related fields. In 2017, the Matsui Foundation gifted 215 acres of northeast Salinas farmland to the Hartnell College Foundation. The property’s estimated value in excess of $20 million makes it the largest gift to a California community college and among the largest ever across the United States. The land’s farm lease income continues t

On Friday morning, December 11 with the help of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Soledad Police officers served 2Juv search warrants within the city of Soledad. A handgun reported stolen out of the city of Anderson, California was recovered. Additionally, an arrest warrant for a juvenile wanted for attempted murder was served and the juvenile was taken into custody and transported to Monterey County Juvenile Hall.

SACRAMENTO – Senator Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno) and Senator Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) jointly introduced Senate Bill 74, otherwise known as the Keep California Working Act, which will invest $2.6 billion (10% of California’s projected surplus) in grants to help small businesses and employees that have sustained financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill includes an urgency clause so that it can take effect immediately upon approval. “California’s businesses and employees have made tremendous sacrifices to protect the health of our communities,” said Senator Borgeas. “If the Governor is going to mandate businesses close, then they deserve a more aggressive investment in relief efforts. I am proud this measure already has broad bipartisan, bicameral support in the Legislature, and I look forward to working across the aisle with my colleagues to help local businesses.” “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and their employees have continued to sustain our

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Friday, December 11 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 17,379 people, while 147,045 people have been tested in the County. 4,842 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,020 in King City, 1,235 in Greenfield, 1,710 in Soledad, 683 in Gonzales, 64 in San Ardo, 96 in Chualar, 18 in San Lucas while 16 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,517 are from person to person transmissions, 4,925 have come from community transmissions, 119 are currently hospitalized, 153 people have died, 12,025 people have recovered, 4,034 are under investigation and 3,076 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Individuals and households with losses due to August/September wildfires in Butte, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Trinity, Tulare and Yolo counties have just one day remaining to apply for grants from FEMA or low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. These counties are included in federal Disaster 4558, declared initially Aug. 22 for seven counties and expanded later. The registration deadline is Dec. 11. FEMA awards help eligible survivors pay for rent, home repair/replacement and many other serious disaster-related needs, including replacement or repair of vehicles, funeral expenses, medical or dental expenses and miscellaneous other costs. To be reimbursed by FEMA, survivors should photograph damage and save receipts for repair work. Survivors should contact their insurers and file a claim for the disaster-caused damage before they register with FEMA. An

MONTEREY COUNTY – A Caltrans pavement rehabilitation construction project along US 101 near King City will enter a new phase with a change in long-term lane closure set to begin December 14. Beginning Monday Dec. 14, the #1 (left) lane of northbound US 101, will be closed from First St. to just north of the Jolon Rd. exit. This closure is expected to last through July 2021. Also, on Monday Dec. 14, lane closures on northbound US 101, currently in place between Wildhorse Rd. and First Street, will shift from a closure of the #2 (right) lane to the #1 (left) lane. After Dec. 23, all lanes of northbound US 101 from south of Wildhorse Rd. to First St. will be open. The contractor for this $78 million construction project is OHL, USA of Irvine, CA. This project is expected to be completed in 2021.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) and Representatives TJ Cox (CA-21) and Jim Costa (CA-16) are calling on congressional leadership to prioritize funding for COVID testing, PPE, and educational resources for agricultural workers in future COVID-19 relief packages. Farmworkers continue to account for a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases, but often lack access to the resources necessary to maintain good health amid the pandemic. “Since the beginning of this bruising pandemic, I’ve continued to push my colleagues in Congress to play our part to help reduce the impact of COVID-19 in farmworker communities,” said Congressman Panetta. “My California colleagues and I know that more needs be done to keep farmworkers safe, especially as these essential frontline workers continue to suffer from this virus at a disproportionate rate. As we work to get through this pandemic and get on to the road to recovery, we’re trying to ensure that our congressional lea

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Thursday, December 10 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 17,157 people, while 145,999 people have been tested in the County. 4,815 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,013 in King City, 1,234 in Greenfield, 1,698 in Soledad, 678 in Gonzales, 64 in San Ardo, 95 in Chualar, 17 in San Lucas while 16 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,464 are from person to person transmissions, 4,877 have come from community transmissions, 114 are currently hospitalized, 148 people have died, 11,916 people have recovered, 3,920 are under investigation and 3,067 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

The City of King regrettably announced on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 the departure of its Police Chief, Robert Masterson. He recently announced he will be leaving to accept the Police Chief position with the City of Atascadero after serving in his current position since July 2017. Chief Masterson’s last day with the City of King will be January 3, 2021. Chief Masterson stated: “It has been a joy to have had the honor to work for the City of King. To see the City staff, under Mr. Adams’ leadership, the council and community working with such a singular goal of making a safer place to live has been an extremely rare pleasure. I have been amazingly surprised with the positive results that this teamwork has achieved, and it will probably be one of the pinnacles of my working life.” Chief Masterson will be missed by City officials, staff and the community. According to City Manager Steve Adams: “His record of success has been extraordinary. He rebuilt King City’s Police operat

Updated numbers from the Monterey County Health Department on Wednesday, December 9 report that confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County are now at 16,966 people, while 144,867 people have been tested in the County. 4,785 of the cases are out of South Monterey County which include 1,012 in King City, 1,229 in Greenfield, 1,678 in Soledad, 674 in Gonzales, 64 in San Ardo, 95 in Chualar, 17 in San Lucas while 16 cases are from other cities or towns in South Monterey County. In addition, 6,372 are from person to person transmissions, 4,819 have come from community transmissions, 112 are currently hospitalized, 146 people have died, 11,759 people have recovered, 3,883 are under investigation and 3,047 people who work in Agriculture have come down with COVID-19.

ORDER OF THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF MONTEREY IMPLEMENTING THE TERMS OF THE REGIONAL STAY AT HOME ORDER ISSUED DECEMBER 3, 2020 BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 DATE OF ORDER: DECEMBER 9, 2020 Summary of the Order To slow the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19"), this Order of the Monterey County Health Officer implements the restrictions on businesses and activities set forth in the December 3, 2020 Regional Stay at Home Order issued by the California Department of Public Health, commencing at 10 p.m. on Sunday, December 13, 2020 and continuing until 6 a.m. on Monday, January 11, 2021. These restrictions apply throughout Monterey County and are in addition to other restrictions set forth by the State of California. UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTIONS 101040 and 120175, THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF MONTEREY (“HEALTH OFFICER”) ORDERS: 1. Basis of Order. Monterey County (