Monterey County

Eufemia Aguilar has lived in her two-bedroom apartment on North Sanborn Road in Salinas for about 10 years. A garlic peeler at Christopher Ranch, she rises at 2:30 a.m. every day, packs her lunch and heads to work, leaving her 20-year-old son and 5-year-old grandson to sleep. 

There are lots of problems inside her apartment — peeling linoleum, a stove that only sort-of works, mold from the slow drip-drip-drip of her upstairs neighbor’s shower. But Aguilar likes to focus on the positive. 

However, her landlords have increased her rent by 30%, and then, a few weeks ago, they served Aguilar and some of her neighbors with a 60-day notice to vacate their apartments. They need to be out by Jan. 1.

Following a major settlement in Ohio this week, California counties could be a step closer to getting the drug industry to pay for damages associated with the opioid epidemic.

The most recent announcement from energy company, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), listed San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties as “elevated” for potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events, which could begin Sunday and Monday.

Rancho Cielo is a nonprofit in Salinas that offers at-risk youth the chance to prepare for jobs in a range of industries, from culinary to construction. Their newest program trains youth to work in the growing AgTech sector.

UPDATE Nov. 27, 2018: The Federal Drug Administration says its investigation has narrowed down the source of the current E. coli outbreak to romaine lettuce grown in Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Ventura counties. The CDC says packaging should indicate where the lettuce was grown, and if it does not, do not eat it. 43 people are now reported ill connected to the outbreak. 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration urged consumers to toss out any romaine lettuce on hand in connection to an E. coli outbreak, and Monterey County's top agricultural official said romaine grown on the Central Coast is possibly the source.

Although you still have a month to mull over your choices before Election Day, early voting is underway. It started Monday.

Work is underway on a local passenger rail project. It will create commuter train service from Salinas.

California's June 5, 2018 Consolidated Primary Election is behind us, and the Secretary of State has published semi-official elections results; click here to see statewide race results.

On the Central Coast, the San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Monterey County county elections offices continue to update results as ballot counting continues. 

When the oil companies, landowners and mineral rights owners sued Monterey County late last year, the plaintiffs’ side of the courtroom was packed with lots of lawyers. 

Monterey County is joining a lawsuit over the 2020 U.S. census. The lawsuit aims to stop the Trump Administration from asking about citizenship status in the upcoming nationwide population count.

Monterey County’s voter approved fracking ban will go back to court on appeal. 

New voter registration figures show the number of Californians identifying as “no party preference” has nearly caught up with registered Republicans. GOP registration as of last month stood at 25.4 percent – just four-tenths of a point higher than “no party preference.”

Being an Olympic bobsledder from Monterey sounds out of the box. And that’s why Nick Cunningham tried out for the U.S.A. men’s bobsled team. 

Central Coast Congressman Jimmy Panetta wants to expand protections for crime victims who are undocumented immigrants. 

Military officials say Central Coast residents can expect to see increased activity around the California National Guard post that straddles the border of Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, adjacent to Highway 101. Camp Roberts officials said over the next few months, there will be more soldiers on the base and more military vehicles on the roads. 

The Trump Administration has announced a plan to open up California waters to offshore oil exploration and drilling. Intending to replace a current plan in place through 2022, the U.S. Department of the Interior said it will release a new draft proposal for offshore lease sales starting in 2019.