Monterey County News, Traffic & Weather


All the Monterey News, Traffic and Weather, with directories of local Government, Community Groups & Nonprofits in one place!
Image caption: Flooding on the Salinas River in 2023 brought economic hardship to farmers and snarled traffic.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps

Whether you’re on the Monterey Peninsula, in the Salinas Valley or Big Sur, keep these information resources handy on your smartphone.

Image caption: It's a long way to the top, if you wanna rock ’n’ roll (or do journalism).
Progress Report

In this issue of The Newsletter, we ponder incremental progress as reflected in the journey of two newsrooms.

Image caption: Kara Meyberg Guzman is one of the hardest working journalists in the business.
Q&A: Kara Meyberg Guzman of Santa Cruz Local

Meet tiny newsroom co-founder Kara Meyberg Guzman, who has been honored by the Local Independent Online News Publishers Association.

Image caption: Many Planned Parenthood workers say they have heavier workloads and tougher working conditions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Planned Parenthood Workers Unionize After Roe v. Wade Overturn

Planned Parenthood clinics in Southern California saw a sharp increase in abortions after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. Now, workers at the clinics are creating a union.

Image caption: California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has a plan that may be the last chance to keep home insurers covering homes in the state.
New Plan to Fix Home Insurance Crisis: What You Need to Know

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara unveils a plan to shore up the California insurance market for homeowners. Insurers would return to wildfire zones, but would have an easier path to rate increases.

Image caption: Fewer and fewer Californians every month have health insurance due to thinning of enrollment in the state's free health plan for low-income people.
Thousands of Californians Lost Medi-Cal. Here’s What to Do Now

About 300,000 Californians have lost Medi-Cal coverage since the state resumed eligibility checks. You have options if you get a notice about your coverage.

Image caption: What the hell happened to this sweet, smart kid?
Sept. 18, 2023: Problem Child.

Big Social Media is abandoning the field of reliable information-distribution in some big ways. CALocal is helping to fill that hole—with maps.

Image caption: Detail of interactive map that delivers real-time information drawn from reliable sources.
Distributing Ground Truth by Mapping the Situation

Social media were once very good at sharing reliable first-hand information about fires, floods, etc. Not any more. Here’s an alternative.

Image caption: Voters will decide whether to spend funds previously earmarked for mental health care on housing of the homeless.
Newsom’s Mental Health Plan Heads to Voters. What Does it Say?

California collects a special tax on high incomes to fund mental health services. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to change how the money is spent so a share of it can be used to fund housing for homeless people with mental …

Image caption: As California's legislative session ends, lawmakers take no steps to address the state's fire insurance crisis.
Legislature Fails to Address California Fire Insurance Crisis

Legislators weren’t able to reach a compromise that helps insurers with wildfire risk while also protecting homeowners. Interest groups hope to find one in meetings this fall.

Image caption: Non-law enforcement spending on anti-hate efforts has topped $200 million since 2021, more than any other state.
California Spends Millions to Stop Hate Crimes. Here’s How

Hate crimes were up 20 percent in California in 2022, with those against transgender, Muslim and Black people increasing especially sharply. But the state is also spending more than any other to combat such crimes, including a hotline, state commission …

Image caption: Before cities order police to clear out homeless camps, courts have ruled they must provide “adequate” shelter.
Do California Cities Offer ‘Adequate Shelter’ for Homeless?

Police can’t force homeless people from encampments unless the city in question has “adequate shelter” for those who are displaced, according to courts. Now everyone involved wants to know what “adequate” means.

Image caption: New legislation will impose penalties on local school boards that ban books for covering issues of diversity.
New California Bill Slaps Back at School Book Bans

California will penalize school boards that ban books based on inclusion of certain groups under a bill the governor is expected to sign into law. But some fear unintended consequences.

Image caption: The Sacramento region may be the center of state politics, but it’s also a world-class destination for serious athletes. Find out more in our guide to running in the Capital region.
Sept 11, 2023: The Lighter Side of … California

Take a break from the weighty worries of the modern world. Go on a run, absorb some culture, and yuk it up with California-born comedians.

Image caption: Run to Feed the Hungry participants raise funds for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.
Running Around California’s Capital Region

From marathoners to casual joggers, enthusiasts can take advantage of the Sacramento region’s diverse trails, terrain, and competitive events.

Image caption: Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to wait for more information before signing a bill that would remove TikTok from most state smartphones.
Newsom Halts TikTok Ban, App to Stay on State Phones

A bipartisan bill to prohibit TikTok on state phones is shelved until 2024. It had breezed through the state Legislature, but the authors want to tweak the measure. It's the latest social media regulation to get stalled in California.

Image caption: With electric vehicles becoming more common, California's subsidy program is shifting to those who can least afford to buy one.
California to Focus Most Electric Car Rebates on Low-Income Buyers

Now that electric cars are mainstream, higher-income Californians will no longer qualify for state subsidies. Lower-income buyers could get up to $12,000.

Image caption: A new contract with their union is designed to ease a shortage of California prison doctors and psychiatrists.
Some of California’s Best-Paid Employees to Get $40K Bonuses

California prisons are badly understaffed when it comes to doctors and psychiatrists. A new contract attempts to boost retention with substantial bonuses.

Image caption: California Forever, a company that wants to use Silicon Valley cash to develop a new city, promises to open a "conversation" with Solano County residents about it.
California Forever: Tech Investors Begin PR Campaign for New City

California Forever, the company backed by billionaire Silicon Valley investors that wants to build a new city in Solano County, has posted a new website in an attempt to start a "conversation" about the massive project.

Image caption: In San Francisco, new police officers can now expect six-figure starting salaries, and other cities are taking similar measures.
Cities Compete to Give Police Recruits the Best Financial Deal

California cities are struggling to hire police in a tight labor market after the COVID pandemic. Some are raising by double digits and offering eye-catching bonuses.

California Local Pin Marker   Bulletin Board
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From BigSurKate
10/01/2023

Sunday Photos, 10/1/23

By Sharen Carey

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From BigSurKate
09/30/2023

Aerial Photos of Paul’s Slide, and one from me

And one from me taken Friday

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09/30/2023

PARK PATROL: Tatum's Garden

Located behind the Salinas Sports Complex and Sherwood Park in Salinas, Tatum’s Garden is a fully accessible playground that allows children of all abilities to play side by side.

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09/30/2023

Logistically Speaking . . .

#118: Artists Studio Tour (Day One), Fifth St. A Cappella, Imogen Heap (w/Zoë Keating), and Jacob Collier

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09/29/2023

Cabrillo Choral Director Cheryl Anderson on Ensemble Monterey’s 30th Anniversary

KSQD Community Concert Hall's Christopher Smith interviews longtime Santa Cruz and Monterey County's powerhouse classical music director Cheryl Anderson. Along with her husband, John Anderson, Che...

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09/28/2023

Sustainability Now! Sunday, October 1st: Hitman for the Kindness Club, with Captain Paul Watson

Hitman for the Kindness Club with Captain Paul Watson For uncounted millennia, the creatures of the world’s ocean have been hunted, captured and killed by human beings.  For most of that history,...

Upcoming Meetings → View All

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City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
City Council Meeting
Monday October 2 2023   4:30 PM

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City of Seaside
SPECIAL MEETING: Recreation & Parks Commission Meeting
Monday October 2 2023   5:00 PM

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City of Gonzales
City Council Meeting
Monday October 2 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Monterey
City Council Meeting
Tuesday October 3 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Monterey
CLOSED SESSION: City Council Meeting
Tuesday October 3 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
City Council Meeting
Tuesday October 3 2023   4:30 PM

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City of Marina
City Council Meeting
Tuesday October 3 2023   5:00 PM

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City of Seaside
Neighborhood Improvement Commission Meeting
Tuesday October 3 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Greenfield
Planning Commission Meeting
Tuesday October 3 2023   6:00 PM

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City of King City
Planning Commission Meeting
Tuesday October 3 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Pacific Grove
Business Improvement District Meeting
Wednesday October 4 2023   8:30 AM

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City of Monterey
Architectural Review Committee Meeting
Wednesday October 4 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Pacific Grove
CLOSED SESSION: City Council Meeting
Wednesday October 4 2023   5:00 PM

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City of Soledad
City Council Meeting
Wednesday October 4 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Pacific Grove
City Council Meeting
Wednesday October 4 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Monterey
Zoning Administration Meeting
Thursday October 5 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Monterey
Museums and Cultural Arts Commission
Thursday October 5 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Pacific Grove
Economic Development Commission Meeting
Thursday October 5 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Seaside
City Council Meeting
Thursday October 5 2023   5:00 PM

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City of Pacific Grove
Planning Commission Meeting
Thursday October 5 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Seaside
Commission on Jobs, Opportunities & Businesses in Seaside
Monday October 9 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Pacific Grove
DEI Task Force Meeting
Monday October 9 2023   5:00 PM

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City of Gonzales
Planning Commission Meeting
Monday October 9 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
Community Activities Commission
Tuesday October 10 2023   9:30 AM

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City of Pacific Grove
Architectural Review Board Meeting
Tuesday October 10 2023   3:00 PM

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City of Monterey
Planning Commission Meeting
Tuesday October 10 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Seaside
Environmental Committee Meeting
Tuesday October 10 2023   5:30 PM

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City of Seaside
Art & History Commission Meeting
Tuesday October 10 2023   5:45 PM

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City of Greenfield
City Council Meeting
Tuesday October 10 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
Planning Commission Meeting
Wednesday October 11 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Greenfield
Arroyo Seco Groundwater Sustainability Agency Meeting
Wednesday October 11 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Monterey
Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Wednesday October 11 2023   5:30 PM

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City of Seaside
Planning Commission Meeting
Wednesday October 11 2023   6:00 PM

Upcoming Community Events

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Broadband Summit
Tuesday October 3 2023   9:00 AM

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Online Artist Talk: Mark Tuschman, Together We Rise
Tuesday October 3 2023   3:00 PM

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New Tech: Hydrogen
Wednesday October 4 2023   6:00 PM

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In-person workshop: Weekend with Henry Horenstein
Friday October 6 2023   All Day

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In-person Artist Talk and Book Launch
Friday October 6 2023   7:00 PM