Monterey County Local News


Curated Local News articles published by local newsrooms.

Trump Targets California Climate Laws in New Executive Order

04/09/2025

Trump ordered his attorney general to move against state climate programs that clash with his energy agenda. Legal experts say his claims about the laws being unconstitutional are an overreach.

Could Utility Gear Set Your Neighborhood on Fire? California Risk Maps Are 8 Years Old

04/09/2025

California’s Public Advocate has been pressing for new utility fire maps since 2023. Utilities are on board — but regulators turned them down.

He Spent Decades Researching Dementia. Trump’s DEI Purge Killed His Grant, and Dozens More

04/09/2025

This researcher’s project joins at least 30 others across the University of California system that have been terminated by the National Institutes of Health. Those multi-year awards were worth more than $173 million.

Border Patrol Said It Targeted Known Criminals in Kern County. But It Had No Record on 77 of 78 Arrestees

04/08/2025

Contrary to its public narrative, the agency cast a wide net in its California immigration raid, setting the stage for a legal battle over how the government carries out mass deportations.

Dentists Turned Them Away. Now, Disabled Californians Are Gaining New Access to Care

04/08/2025

People with special needs often have to drive hours to find a dentist who will see them. New grants are creating more options around California.

Miles of Delta Levees Are at Risk of Floods. Repairs Could Cost $3 Billion

04/08/2025

The Delta faces a funding crisis to repair and maintain an aging network of 1,100 miles of levees. These earthen berms, mostly on private land, could rupture and endanger half a million people and flood thousands of acres of farmland.

Marina Imjin Parkway Project Update

04/08/2025

An update in the ongoing Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project, focused this week on the roundabout on Abrams Drive.

California’s Big Pension Funds Lost Billions in Stock Market Selloff. Can They Recover in Time?

04/07/2025

The stock market selloff that followed President Trump’s latest tariff announcement underscored the “unprecedented” risk that California pension funds see in a potential trade war.

How We’re Helping Students Spot Violations at California Career Colleges

04/04/2025

It’s hard to find the disciplinary history of for-profit colleges regulated by California. CalMatters is making it easier.

Fight Over Phonics: Will California Require the ‘Science of Reading’ in K-12 Schools?

04/03/2025

Nearly 60% of third graders aren’t reading at grade level. A new bill would require schools to use a phonics-based approach to teach students

Rural California, Reliant on the Trump Administration for Jobs, Braces for Cuts

04/02/2025

Rural counties are some of the most reliant on federal funding and federal workers. But some still welcome Trump’s upcoming cuts to forestry and other departments

Marina City CouncilAdvances ‘Arts Village’

04/02/2025

In their April 1 meeting, the Marina City Council voted to move forward with one of five choices for how to best utilize the an existing former Army warehouse as the home of the future "Marina Arts Village."

‘Broke Their Own Promise’: Republican Reparations Bill Is a Bad Sign for California’s Black Caucus

04/01/2025

At a time when the political climate calls for strong and steady leadership, many Black Californians are losing faith in the lawmakers they sent to Sacramento to deliver on a justice agenda anchored by reparations.

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

04/01/2025

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has regularly worked side jobs at Bay Area nonprofits to earn extra income because he says the state pay is insufficient.

Veterans Stand Down Coming to Marina on April 18

04/01/2025

Currently serving military personnel and veterans will be attending the 2025 Veterans Stand Down and Resource Fair at the Monterey County Veterans Services Offices on April 18. Service providers and vendors are invited to participate and to apply with an online form.

Inside a $17 Billion Maintenance Backlog Plaguing California’s Universities

03/31/2025

Infrastructure issues at California’s public universities are hindering students and faculty’s ability to learn and work on campus. Lawmakers and system leaders are hoping more state support can help them bring down the $17 billion price tag to fix their academic buildings.

Monterey Peninsula District School Superintendent Rescinds Resignation

03/31/2025

After reflection and discussions with family and colleagues, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh announced he was rescinding the resignation notice he had delivered in February.

Money, Location Shape California’s Criminal Defense System to an Unconstitutional Level

03/30/2025

Californians accused of crimes have the right to an appointed defense attorney if they can’t afford to hire their own. In that way they are just like criminal defendants in every other state — protected, at least in theory, by the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel.

CA Lawmakers Seek to Change CEQA (Again)

03/28/2025

A handful of legislators rallied near the state Capitol Thursday to promote what they’re calling an “extremely unsexy,” but important, bipartisan bill package intended to put California’s housing development into overdrive.

California Snowpack Below Average — What Does This Mean for Water Supplies?

03/28/2025

At 90% of the state historical average, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is far better than last year. But it’s nothing like the record-smashing 2023.