KRKC COUNTRY

  (PASO ROBLES, CA) – The California Mid-State Fair is pleased to announce that applications are being accepted for National Anthem singers. Each year the California Mid-State Fair offers local singers the opportunity to sing the National Anthem prior to the start of Chumash Grandstand Arena shows. Interested applicants must completely fill out an online form with contact information, as well as submit a YouTube video/link showing the individual singing the National Anthem A Cappella style. Applications can be found at www.MidStateFair.com and must be received by Friday, June 23, 2023, by 5:00 pm to be considered. All applicants will be notified via email, after the singers have been selected. The 2023 California Mid-State Fair runs July 19 through July 30 and this year’s theme is “Shake, Rattle & Roll!” Connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

  CAMP ROBERTS, CA – A controlled burn is scheduled to be conducted on Camp Roberts Garrison Training Center Wednesday, May 31 thru Thursday, June 1, 2023 from 0900 hours -until complete.  Approximately 9,000 acres of grassland and brush on the military installation will be burned with the intent to reduce fire hazards within the region and to provide valuable wildland firefighting training and techniques to local firefighters in preparation for the upcoming fire season. Smoke will be visible from both north and southbound Hwy 101, contiguous properties and surrounding communities. Neighboring residents are encouraged to stay inside if residential area is directly impacted. Children, the elderly and those with pre-existing respiratory conditions are the most susceptible to the health impacts of smoke and should use extreme caution.  This burn is a is a quad-county/ interagency operation hosted by the Camp Roberts Fire Department.   Participating Fire Departments include: Camp Roberts F

  PASO ROBLES, CA – On Tuesday, May 30 at 12:29 pm Officers from the Paso Robles Police Department responded to the Paso Robles High School (801 Niblick Rd.) regarding a threat of a school shooting. During a routine bathroom check, the Paso Robles High School safety staff discovered a message written in marker on the inside of a stall in the boy’s bathroom. The message was considered hate speech and the message read there will be a school shooting on Wednesday, May 31. The Paso Robles Police Department takes all threats of this nature very seriously and an investigation was immediately initiated. Paso Robles Police School Resource Officers, with the help of school safety staff, quickly identified a suspect. The suspect is a student at Paso Robles High School and was identified as 18-year-old Levi Harrington of Paso Robles who was immediately taken into custody without incident. He was later booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on the charges of 422 PC – Criminal Threats and 422.

  (PASO ROBLES, CA) – The California Mid-State Fair is pleased to announce that worldwide superstar PITBULL has been confirmed to perform in concert on Wednesday, July 26 at 7:30pm. An opening act will be confirmed at a later date. The concert will take place in the Chumash Grandstand Arena at the Paso Robles Event Center and is part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series presented by Visit SLO CAL. This will be PITBULL’S third appearance at the California Mid-State Fair, having last appeared in 2018. Ticket prices for the show are $35, $50, $75, $95, and $125 (Pit, standing only) and will go on sale Friday, June 2, 2023, starting at 10:00 am. Tickets can be purchased on the California Mid-State Fair’s Official website www.MidStateFair.com. The Box Office cannot guarantee the authenticity or validity of any tickets purchased outside of our official channels. Pitbull invites disruption on a global scale as a GRAMMY®-winning independent international superstar, education advocate, business

  (PASO ROBLES, CA) – The California Mid-State Fair is pleased to announce that the “Red Rocker” Sammy Hagar has been confirmed to perform in concert on Friday, July 21 at 7:30pm. An opening act will be confirmed at a later date. The concert will take place in the Chumash Grandstand Arena at the Paso Robles Event Center and is part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series presented by Visit SLO CAL. Ticket prices for the show are $50, $65, $95, and $125 (Pit, standing only) and will go on sale Friday, June 2, 2023, starting at 10:00 am. Tickets can be purchased on the California Mid-State Fair’s Official website www.MidStateFair.com. The Box Office cannot guarantee the authenticity or validity of any tickets purchased outside of our official channels. For the last four decades, Sammy Hagar has been one of rock music's most dynamic and prolific artists. From breaking into the industry with the seminal hard rock band Montrose, to his multiplatinum solo career, to his ride as the front ma

  MONTEREY COUNTY – Here are the major scheduled road and lane closures for Monterey County from Sunday, May 28 through Saturday, June 3.  Highway 101: Broadway Street (Northbound): May 31 – June 3 Alternating lane closure will occur along northbound Broadway Street due to work on the bridge from 9 am to 3 pm during the week and 6 am to 2 pm on Saturday.    Highway 101: Jolon Road:  May 30 – June 1 There will be full closure of the on and off ramps of northbound and southbound Highway 101 at Jolon Road for bridge work from 8 am to 4 pm.   Highway 101: Jolon Road – First Street: Long- Term Alternating lane closures will occur along northbound Highway 101 between First Street and Jolon Road for work on the bridge from 8 am 2 pm.   Highway 101: First Street – Wild Horse Road: May 30 – June 2 One lane closure will occur along southbound Highway 101 between First Street and Wild Horse Road for bridge and miscellaneous work from 8 am 2 pm.   Highway 101: Jolon Road – First Street: Long- Term

  MONTEREY COUNTY – The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) is pleased to announce the winners of the “Move It Monterey County” Challenge, which occurred April 1 – May 5, 2023.   The goal of the challenge presented by TAMC in co-sponsorship with Blue Zones Project Monterey County and MY Museum, was to encourage anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Monterey County to get out and move their bodies for health, mind, and community.   Participants competed as individuals, teams, schools, and worksites to win prizes valued at more than $7,000 by earning points for any bike, walk, bus or carpool trip to work, school, shopping or just for fun. Prize giveaways include gift cards to local businesses, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, bike/skateboard racks and an electric bike to use as a transportation vehicle for the winning worksite.   The King City community dominated the challenge this spring, with participants winning in 3 of the 5 prize categories.   Here are the winne

  Salinas, CA – On May 16, 2023, County of Monterey Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support AT HOME, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive approach developed by the California Association of Counties in collaboration with county leaders throughout the state to effectively and equitably address homelessness in California. This program starts at the top, where critical decisions about homelessness are made. It includes broad goals and specific policy proposals to ensure clear lines of responsibility and accountability for every level of government while improving the way California collectively responds to homelessness. “Counties are on the forefront of addressing our homelessness crisis in California. The County of Monterey now joins in support of the California State Association of Counties’ AT HOME plan to comprehensively address ongoing funding, accountability and programming needs,” said Luis Alejo, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “There is much work to be done in reducing

  In early May, the SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Center celebrated after reuniting a baby Red-tailed hawk with her wild parents after she fell over 45 feet from her nest to the ground near California State University Monterey Bay. During the week of May 14 the SPCA rescued a Red-tailed Hawk again. As you can see from the photos, the hawk grew significantly over the past few weeks. But she’s not quite ready to fly, and she still needs the care of her attentive parents.  Thankfully, the young hawk survived her first and second falls unscathed, but the nest did not fare well the second time and was destroyed. Thanks to our community’s support, we were here for her and her family. With the help from our friends at The Tree Man, we installed a heavy-duty nest made by our skilled wildlife rescue team, put it high in the tree where her old nest was, and placed her safely back. Her nest mate and parents returned immediately to check out their new, significantly improved nest.  We are hopeful

  According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, on Monday night, May 22 at approximately 11:01 PM, deputies at the Monterey County Jail responded to an incarcerated 63-year-old male adult who was unresponsive in his housing cell. Deputies immediately began performing life saving measures on the male subject and emergency personnel from allied fire and medical agencies were requested to assist. Paramedics arrived on the scene and took over life saving measures. The incarcerated male adult was pronounced dead in the Monterey County Jail at approximately 11:15 PM. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division is investigating the in-custody death. In addition, the Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Coroner Unit of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office to perform the post-mortem forensic examination and determine the decedent’s cause and manner of the death. The decedent’s identity is not being released at this time pending official notification of

  (PASO ROBLES, CA) – The California Mid-State Fair is pleased to announce that diamond-selling superstar Nelly, with special guest T.I., have been confirmed to perform in concert on Monday, July 24 at 7:30pm. The concert will take place in the Chumash Grandstand Arena at the Paso Robles Event Center and is part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series presented by Visit SLO CAL. This will be the first-ever appearance at the California Mid-State Fair for both Nelly and T.I. Ticket prices for the show are $30, $50, $75, $90, and $110 (Pit, standing only) and will go on sale Friday, May 26, 2023, starting at 10:00 am. Tickets can be purchased on the California Mid-State Fair’s Official website www.MidStateFair.com. The Box Office cannot guarantee the authenticity or validity of any tickets purchased outside of our official channels. Diamond Selling, Multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning rap superstar, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and actor, Nelly, has continually raised the bar for the enter

  (PASO ROBLES, CA) – The Luke Bryan concert, set to take place on July 23, has sold out. The concert will take place in the Chumash Grandstand Arena at the Paso Robles Event Center and is part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series presented by Visit SLO CAL. This will be Luke Bryan’s 2nd completely sold-out concert at the California Mid State Fair. Country music superstar and television personality Luke Bryan has released 30 No. 1 hits, garnered nearly 20 billion worldwide streams and has more RIAA certified digital single certifications than any other Country artist of all time with 81.5 Million. His headline concert tours have played sold-out shows for millions and millions of fans inclusive of 36 stadium concerts, Farm Tours, Spring Break shows, and 8 sold-out ‘Crash My Playa’ destination concert events. Bryan has won 50+ major music awards including five wins as Entertainer of the Year. For a complete list of concerts as part of the Michelob Ultra Concert Series, please visit www.M

  According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, on Friday night, May 19, 2023, at 7:30 pm, a Deputy Sheriff assigned to Mounted Horse Patrol at the Salinas Valley Fair in King City observed a physical fight outside the fairgrounds between what appeared to be teenage male subjects. The Mounted Unit Deputy responded to the fight with other law enforcement and security personnel at which time the subjects involved in the fight fled from the area running on foot. The Mounted Unit Deputy, from an elevated position on horseback, was able to identify one of the involved subjects and continually observed him as he ran across Division Street. The Mounted Unit Deputy pursued the male subject on his horse “Blondie” from the area of the fight across Division Street and then Northbound on 7th Street. The male subject briefly stopped after his pathway was blocked by the Mounted Unit Deputy, but then the male subject began to flee again on foot. The Deputy and “Blondie” once again caught up

  MONTEREY COUNTY – Here are the major scheduled road and lane closures for Monterey County from Sunday, May 21 through Saturday, May 27.  Highway 101: Jolon Road (Northbound)  May 22   – May 25 There will be full closure of the on and off ramps of northbound Highway 101 at northbound Jolon Road for bridge work from 8 am to 4 pm. Highway 101: Jolon Road (Southbound)  May 22   – May 25 There will be full closure of the off ramps of southbound Highway 101 at southbound Jolon Road for bridge work from 8 am to 4 pm. Highway 101: Jolon Road – First Street: Long- Term Alternating lane closures will occur along southbound Highway 101 between Jolon Road and First Street for work on the bridge from 7 am 12 pm. Highway 101: Jolon Road – First Street: Long- Term One lane closure will occur along northbound Highway 101 between Jolon Road and First Street for pavement work from 8 am to 4 pm. Highway 101: Front Street: May 20 One-way traffic controls will be in place along northbound Front Street fo

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Friday, May 19 that the Honorable Jennifer J. O’Keefe sentenced 43-year-old Angel Rojas Lugos of San Ardo, to 142 years to life in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. On March 15, 2023, a jury found Lugos guilty of two counts of committing oral copulation on a child 10 years of age or under, and 14 counts of committing forcible lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14 years of age. All 16 counts are violent felonies and are considered “strikes” under California’s Three Strikes law. In addition to his prison sentence, Lugos is required to register as a sex offender for life. Jane Doe reported that Angel Lugos, a family member, molested her many times over a 2 year period. Jane Doe was under 10 years old at the time the molestation began. Jane Doe stated she waited to report the molestation because she was afraid she would get in trouble and that no one would believe her. A

  Salinas, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Friday, May 19 that on May 17, 2023 65-year-old Mike Riddle of King City, was convicted following a 2 1/2 week jury trial for 2 counts of assault with a firearm, in violation of Penal Code section 245(a)(2), along with enhancements for the use of a firearm pursuant to Penal Code section 12022.5(a). On January 16, 2022, Riddle’s neighbors, John Doe and Jane Doe, called 911 to report that Riddle appeared to be intoxicated in the middle of a field in rural southern Monterey County near their property. They stated that Riddle lit a fire in the middle of the field. John Doe and Jane Doe also reported that Riddle retrieved a rifle, pointed it at them, and began shooting towards them, their property, and Jolon Road. Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies responded quickly to the scene where they encountered Riddle, who was armed with a firearm, under the influence of alcohol, and belligerent. Riddle resisted

  SALINAS, California - Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on May 18 that on May 3, 2023 the California Board of Parole Hearings granted Youthful Offender parole and a future release date to Angela Zuniga. Ms. Zuniga was 21 years of age at the time of the commission of the murder of 14-year-old Ricardo Ruiz. She then fled to Mexico and was apprehended on a warrant in Mexico in 2014. In 2016, she pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder in exchange for dismissal of the 1st degree murder charge. On May 17, 2013, at approximately 4:22 p.m., Angela Zuniga, a known Sureño gang member recently released from prison for assault and placed on Post-Community Release Supervision, and her friend approached a group of 5 individuals in front of Jaliscience Taqueria, including the 14-year-old victim, Ricardo Ruiz. Ms. Zuniga asked Ruiz if he “banged.” After short exchange Zuniga then stabbed Ruiz in the left side of his neck with a knife, stating, "King City Trece."

  SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Thursday, May 18 that 40-year-old Daniel Wetle of Marina, pled no contest to 1 count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, admitting an enhancement that he personally inflicted great bodily injury on the victim. On August 13, 2022, just after 6:00 p.m., Daniel Wetle was driving a rented BMW sedan westbound on Highway 68 near Spreckles when, due to his level of intoxication, he lost control of the vehicle and swerved into oncoming traffic. Wetle hit an eastbound Toyota Camry head on, killing the driver instantly and causing serious injuries to the passenger. California Highway Patrol officers contacted Wetle trapped in the driver’s seat of his vehicle shortly after the crash. Wetle was uninjured and exhibited signs of being under the influence of alcohol. A subsequent blood test showed that Wetle had a blood alcohol

  You may have seen heavy equipment heading back to the track area earlier during the week of May 14. After\ being open for some race events, the track is closed again to continue the next phase of the major raceway improvement project. The track closed on May 16 to begin a full track resurfacing project. Before you can resurface, you must grind off the old pavement and that work is well underway. Equipment has already made the first pass through the Corkscrew, although not as much fun in these vehicles. In addition, concrete is being poured to extend and repair the pit area and near the new bridge. Speaking of the new bridge – the massive new Start/Finish bridge is up and in place but not yet open. The last repaving of the track was in 2007. The entire project will be fully completed, cured and ready for the MotoAmerica Superbike SpeedFest from July 7 to July 9.

  A 3.2 magnitude earthquake shook things up a bit north of Pinnacles National Park at 8:01 am on Wednesday morning, May 17. The US Geological Survey reports that the tremor was centered about 11 miles northwest of Pinnacles with a depth of 3.0 miles and happened 30 minutes after 2 smaller earthquakes rattled the same area that were measured at 2.6 and a 2.7 at 7:26 a.m. and 7:25 a.m. No damages or injuries were reported.

  MONTEREY COUNTY – In observance of the upcoming Salinas Valley Fair, all construction related ramp and lane closures will be put on hold on the US 101 near King City, beginning on Wednesday May 17 at 4 pm, and through the Fair weekend.   Two lanes of travel will be open in the north and southbound direction of US 101 as well on the bridges which cross the Salinas River in King City.   Please see link for all Salinas Valley Fair activities at: https://www.salinasvalleyfair.com/   The contractor for this $78 million construction project is OHL, USA of Irvine, CA.  A completion date for this project will be announced prior to the Memorial Day holiday.   Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.   Our crews deserve to get home safely too. Drive slowly and carefully in work zones.

  The dive pool at the King City Pool Facility will be undergoing a major renovation which will impact the 2023 King City Pools summer season.  Over the past several years, the dive pool has experienced delamination of the pool floor and walls resulting in cracks in the surface. This condition requires resurfacing as soon as possible to avoid any further damage.  Work had been slated to begin early in the spring, but inclement weather disrupted the schedule. As a result, the City of King has no choice but to perform the work in the summer which will require closure of all the pools to the public for a portion of the construction period.  The dive pool work will begin on Saturday, May 20 and is expected to last approximately 6 weeks. Therefore, the modified summer pool schedule is as follows:   May 30 – June 9: Open for school pool parties and afternoon swimming lessons only.   June 3, 4, 10 and 11, weekends only: Open for lap swim at noon (Saturday only) and rec swim from 1:00 p.m. – 4

  On Friday, May 12 SPCA Monterey County took in a miniature horse who was found all alone in Salinas. Now we are searching for the mini’s owners. The miniature horse was found on Thursday, May 11 at the corner of Russell Road and North Main Street in Salinas. The finders housed him overnight on a nearby ranch, and SPCA humane officers picked him up on May 12. “At this point we don’t know if he is a stray, or if he was deliberately abandoned,” says Jacob Duarte, SPCA Humane Investigations Supervisor. “He was found in a strange area. We are trying to get his photo out into the community to find his owners who are hopefully searching for him.” If you recognize him, please contact SPCA Monterey County at 831-373-2631.  The miniature horse, a teenaged stallion with appaloosa markings, is now safe at the SPCA, receiving fresh hay, water, love, and care.  Every year, SPCA Monterey County humane officers investigate hundreds of cases of neglect and abuse in our community. To report animal neg

  MONTEREY COUNTY – Here are the major scheduled road and lane closures for Monterey County from Sunday, May 14 through Saturday, May 20.  Highway 101: State Route 198 – Lockwood/San Lucas Road: May 18 One lane closure will occur along southbound Highway 101 between State Route 198 and Lockwood/San Lucas Road for guardrail repair work from 8 am to 2 pm. Highway 101: Jolon Road – First Street: Long- Term One lane closure will occur along southbound Highway 101 between Jolon Road and First Street for pavement work from 9 pm to 4 pm. Highway 101: Jolon Road – First Street: Long- Term One lane closure will occur along northbound Highway 101 between Jolon Road and First Street for pavement work from 8 am to 4 pm. Highway 101: Front Street: May 13 – May 14 One-way traffic controls will be in place along northbound Front Street for paving operation work from 4 pm to 7 am. Highway 101: Front Street: May 20 One-way traffic controls will be in place along northbound Front Street for striping ope

  SALINAS, CA, May 12, 2023 – The Salinas Sports Complex, home of the California Rodeo Salinas, has a new general manager. Ryan Cook of Newport Beach, CA will relocate to Salinas to take over duties as the general manager of the sports and events facility. Cook is replacing Jim Slaten, one of the California Rodeo’s Past Presidents, who has served in the role for 7 years. Slaten’s retirement announcement this past October sparked a nationwide search for a person to fill the position of managing the 80-acre grounds that host events like high school sporting games and practices, weddings, quinceañeras, concerts and more community events throughout the year. “I am joining a team of wonderful family-oriented people who deeply care about Salinas and greater Monterey County and regional communities. I have been given the opportunity to carry the torch and tell the story of over 113 years of California history. Our staff’s annual focus will be developing and producing safe, family-friendly, an

  On Thursday, May 11 the SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center received 3 young gray fox kits that the finders believed were orphaned or abandoned. on Thursday night, May 11 the SPCA successfully reunited the babies with their wild parents.  During examination, SPCA Wildlife Center technicians determined that the 3-4 week old fox kits were very healthy, alert, hydrated, and active. We decided to attempt to reunite the healthy kits with their parents overnight, as foxes are nocturnal. We placed a dog crate in a yard in Marina near where we suspected the den was, and left a motion-activated camera to monitor results.  Gray foxes are native to this area. They are nocturnal and omnivorous, and often prey on rodents. Baby foxes are raised by both parents, and a single parent is usually successful raising babies alone if their mate is sadly killed.  Fox kits may start venturing out of the den at about 4 weeks old, so it is likely the adventurous babies are still uns

MONTEREY COUNTY – The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), in partnership with the City of Soledad, announced that Soledad residents and workers, age 14 and older will have the opportunity to vote to determine which Safe Routes to School projects to fund in their city. Voters can cast their votes from May 18 – May 25, 2023, by selecting from a list of projects developed by the Soledad Safe Routes to School Steering Committee and designed to make it safer for kids and families to get to and from school.   The Steering Committee, made up of residents and community advocates, formed in October 2022, worked with the Safe Routes to School program partners and the City of Soledad to develop a list of eighteen projects for the community to vote on. Through this participatory budgeting process, residents will help determine how to spend $250,000 allocated for program safety improvements.   The election will kick-off  at the Soledad Farmers Market (Thursday Market) on Thursday, May

  The County of Monterey Agricultural Commissioner’s Office has completed a survey of flood and storm damage impacting Monterey County Agriculture in March 2023. This is the 2nd survey done by the Commissioner’s Office. The 1st survey captured storm impacts from January 2023 which totaled $336M. The results of the second survey show damages, current loss estimates and projected future losses totaling $264M. Approximately 8,736 acres of crops were destroyed or unable to be planted due to the flooding; half of these acres were newly impacted and not previously reported in the January storm survey results. Strawberries were significantly affected due to flooding in the Pajaro Valley. An estimated 1,919 acres were damaged totaling $160M in losses. Other key commodities in our region significantly impacted include: • Lettuces: $54.4M • Vegetable crops (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.): $24.2M • Caneberries (raspberries and blackberries): $11.4M • Wine grapes: $1.35M The January and Mar

According to the King City Police Department, a Greenfield man was arrested on Thursday, May 11 for a shooting that happened in King City on Saturday night, April 15, 2023, at approximately 8:43 PM on the 600 Block of Bishop Street. The incident occurred when there was a celebration in a carport area of a residence with over 100 people in attendance. A vehicle passed by that residence and words were exchanged between one of the people attending the celebration and passengers in the vehicle. The vehicle continued down the street before turning around and coming back. As the vehicle passed the residence a 2nd time, an occupant inside the vehicle fired several shots in the direction of the celebration. In the process, a juvenile sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the lower leg. The juvenile was transported to a hospital for treatment. Through the continuing investigation, Detectives assigned to the King City Police Department Investigations Unit identified several subjects

  Salinas, CA  - On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, Hitchcock Road Animal Services asked for the public’s assistance in locating a dog that was stolen from its kennel at the animal shelter. After diligent work by Animal Control Officers and reports from the community, the dog was safely returned to the shelter on Thursday, May 4.  Animal Services is extremely appreciative of the assistance of the community in getting the word out about this missing dog. While arrests did not come to fruition in this case, community input was helpful for Animal Services and assisted in getting the dog returned to the shelter safely. This dog does have medical concerns and will not be available for adoption through HRAS. She will be transferred to an approved local rescue partner who has the resources to further diagnosis her condition and provide any follow up medical care needed before placing her up for adoption. She’s in good hands!  Hitchcock Road Animal Services is located at 160 Hitchcock Road, Salinas,