Monterey County is set to reopen its local assistance center for residents affected by the recent storms and flooding on Saturday, Jan. 28, at a new location in Salinas, county officials announced today.

The VA is holding an informational event on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Major General William H. Gourley VA-DoD Outpatient Clinic in Marina for veterans who may be eligible for medical benefits recently made available to those presumed to be exposed to Agent Orange, burn pits and other toxic s…

When Del Rey Oaks City Council convened for business on Jan. 24, the top order of business was who to appoint to fill the vacant seat on the dais. 

For people who live in Big Sur—accessible via Highway 1, the region's lonely paved artery on the edge of a cliff, and a series of rugged dirt roads—highway closures come with the season. They are expected at the edge of a continent that is actively crumbling into the Pacific Ocean below. 

Nearly three years since the start of Covid-19, one of the early icons of the pandemic—state-supported test sites—is winding down in Monterey County. Four sites operated by Logistics Health, Inc., working under contract with the California Department of Public Health, closed on Sunday, Jan. …

During the recent winter storms, Monterey County’s wastewater treatment plant in the unincorporated South County community of Chualar was under water as the Salinas River flooded, and sewage was released into the river, according to a memo prepared by Soledad’s interim city manager J. Edward…

As Monterey County residents and business owners take a breath after the storm, it's time to begin the next phase: recovery. 

A compromise of sorts was reached at the Pacific Grove City Council meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the controversial appointments to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force by Mayor Bill Peake—but not before residents gave the council an earful for nearly two hours. Most were upset…

Just as the sun is starting to come back out, there is good news for local hikers and bikers: Toro Park, Manzanita Park, Royal Oaks Park and San Lorenzo Park will reopen tomorrow, Jan. 20, after closing Jan. 4 due to the series of atmospheric rivers that battered the Central Coast. 

After weeks of heavy rainstorms and flooding that commanded the attention of Monterey County’s elected officials, some of the newer ranks of those officials finally gathered at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 17, for the pomp and circumstance of their formal swearing-in cer…

Even before the recent wave of winter storms hit, some local jurisdictions began declaring emergencies. 

Pacific Grove Mayor Bill Peake’s appointments to the city’s boards and commissions raised some eyebrows when the list was released in an agenda report for the P.G. City Council meeting taking place tonight, Jan. 18. In one case, it appears he snubbed his political opponent in the Nov. 7 elec…

As the latest front in a series of storms passed through Monterey County and river levels dropped, county officials lifted most evacuation orders that had directed people to stay out of potential flood zones. 

Some 17,350 Monterey County residents remain impacted by evacuation orders and warnings as a new cold front arrives Saturday, Jan. 14, bringing with it reminders of caution and continued orders to residents not to return home until evacuation orders have lifted. 

While much of Monterey County has enjoyed a break in the rainy weather, vigilance is still encouraged for everyone when traveling this weekend. 

The Los Padres National Forest issued a special public health and safety closure today, Jan. 13, for the forest's Monterey Ranger District, Santa Lucia Ranger District, Santa Barbara Ranger District and Ojai Ranger District in order to assess damage incurred during the ongoing winter storms.

In the midst of the emergency for the Monterey Peninsula created by rising flood waters on the Salinas River, Carmel Mayor Dave Potter and City Administrator Chip Rerig along with other top staff appeared in a YouTube video urging residents to be prepared. Conspicuously absent was Carmel Pol…

The Community Foundation for Monterey County, a local nonprofit which since 1981 has been striving to “inspire philanthropy…

Public safety and county officials came together in a show of unity Thursday afternoon Jan. 12, giving the latest update on flooding along the Salinas River…

Why is it that, on the nicest day of weather in the past few weeks, the Salinas River, in the lower Salinas Valley, was expected to potentially rise…

Up until Wednesday, hotels on the Monterey Peninsula were gearing up to greet visitors checking in for a three-day holiday weekend…

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued new evacuation orders on Wednesday, Jan. 11, for communities located along the Salinas River near Monterey Bay—with Sheriff Tina Nieto warning that the Monterey Peninsula “may become an island” amid continuing storms that are expected to cause more…

Dozens of sandbags, like a small barricade, are outside of several homes and garages on the low side of Paul Avenue in Bolsa Knolls in North Salinas…

Dozens of Monterey County residents took to evacuation shelters Monday night, Jan. 9, following several warnings of flooding in the area. About 18,346 people are impacted by the evacuation warnings and orders, according to county officials. 

Evacuation orders remained in effect overnight for communities along the Carmel River, Pajaro River, Big Sur River and Arroyo Seco River, with a warning in place for the length of the Salinas River. 

After a drumbeat of warnings and PSAs about potential flooding, along with a series of evacuation warnings, officials ordered evacuations of several Monterey County communities on Monday morning, Jan. 9, as river levels rose.

For some urban residents who are not under evacuation orders, the day may feel almost like a regular rainy day even as communities throughout Monterey County are under evacuation orders.  

With potentially thousands of residents and hospitality workers impacted by evacuation orders and evacuation warnings in the low-lying areas of Monterey County's rivers, over one dozen hotels and inns on the Monterey Peninsula are offering special rates for evacuees, according to the Montere…

Officials from Monterey and Santa Cruz counties gathered on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 8, during the calm between storms. Their message, delivered outside of Casa da la Cultura in Pajaro, was to encourage residents to prepare for the next storm—the weather isn't over yet. 

Monterey County officials say they are taking an “all hands on deck” approach to shepherding the region through the ongoing storm that has swept the region this week.

As a deluge of rain fell on the Monterey County coastline on Thursday morning, Jan. 5, officers from the Sheriff’s Office went door-to-door in the neighborhood of Carmel Point, just north of the Carmel River Lagoon, urging residents to evacuate and find shelter elsewhere.

The emergency response began even before the storm made landfall, and continued overnight and throughout the day on Thursday, Jan. 5. For the Weekly's ongoing coverage of the winter storm, click here.

According to PG&E, 3,022 customers in Monterey County are currently without power due to the ongoing atmospheric river, and it remains unclear when their power will be restored. 

High waves crashing into the Pacific Grove coastline this morning, Thursday, Jan. 5, prompted city officials to close the Recreation Trail and Ocean View Boulevard west of Lovers Point. Reopening time remains unknown, possibly in the afternoon.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Department issued an evacuation order just after 8:30am Thursday, Jan. 5 for the neighborhoods just west of Mission Fields, near the Carmel Lagoon. The order includes areas south of 14th Avenue and east of Carmelo Street. The order is in place until further notice.

The National Weather Service issued two flash flood warnings for Monterey County just after 6:15pm. The first one was for the Big Sur Coast, especially along the Dolan Fire and Colorado Fire burn scars. The second warning came for all of Monterey County especially around streams and rivers. …

The severe storm warning for Wednesday-Thursday, Jan. 4-5, is yet to bring the most significant wind and rain predicted, but has already prompted several closures.

Safety and preparation are the keywords from public safety and emergency officials this week. Monterey County is expecting a large winter storm with high winds that could knock over trees and cause power outages over the next couple of days, as well as rainfall that could cause flooding.

Hours ahead of what's predicted to be a severe atmospheric river storm hitting Monterey County tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 4, Monterey County officials issued an evacuation warning for the Pajaro community in North Monterey County and preemptively closed county parks.

A powerful atmospheric river is coming and it's anticipated to roll right over Monterey County over Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 4-5. County officials are urging residents to be prepared for what could be crippling conditions, including wide-spread flooding and power outages.

After months of back-and-forth arguments about the benefits and drawbacks of an updated athletic stadium, including 70- to 80-foot-tall lights, the Carmel Unified School District board voted on Nov. 29 to move forward with the project. 

Soledad City Council will meet next week to consider appointing an interim city manager after City Manager Brent Slama’s resignation. Slama announced his resignation during a City Council meeting on Oct. 5. 

There is no clear touchdown in a long-running battle for victory over the future of the athletic stadium and facilities at Monterey High School, even with a Dec. 8 court ruling issued by Monterey County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wills. 

Californians’ holiday honeymoon is coming to an end weather-wise, and Monterey County residents can pull those umbrellas right back out for the foreseeable future. 

The CEO of Central California Alliance for Health, the region’s nonprofit Medi-Cal health care provider, is stepping down after 17 years of service, the Alliance announced on Dec. 21.

The emails have been flowing into the Pacific Grove City Council for more than a month, over 100 of them, nearly all of them urging councilmembers to preserve the city’s outdoor dining parklets. Message received: Councilmembers said in a meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 21, that they're ready to k…

If Cal Am won’t voluntarily play ball to expand Pure Water Monterey, a recycled water project that could preclude the need for a local desalination project for decades, perhaps a strongly worded petition to the California Public Utilities Commission might help.

Barring a lawsuit, a controversial farmworker housing project in Pajaro officially has the green light to move forward: In a Dec. 13 hearing, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved the three-building, 46-unit project in a 3-1 vote (Mary Adams dissented, and retiring supervisor Joh…