Author: KION

Maxwell Glenn

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) – CHP Monterey confirms a suspect is now in custody following a string of incidents in north Monterey County.

The California Highway Patrol was dispatched just after 9:00 p.m. on Monday night after receiving reports of a hit-and-run.

The suspect was first involved in a crash near San Miguel Canyon Road and Hambey Lane. The car then reportedly continued traveling north, crashing near San Miguel Canyon Road and Corto San Miguel Canyon Road. The second incident involved a power pole, but after PG&E performed an integrity check, it was deemed to have sustained little damage.

The third and final incident happened at San Juan Road and Tarpey Road. According to the CHP, the suspect’s vehicle collided with another car, resulting in minor injuries.

The suspect fled the crash but was quickly found and arrested.

DUI is suspected to be a factor, according to the CHP.

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jose.romo

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) — Governor Gavin Newsom urged cities and counties to ban homeless encampments this Monday morning. Newsom presented a blueprint for a camping ban that cities and counties can adopt or modify. Gov. Newsom will also allocate $3.3 billion to address the crisis. 

“The needs for beds are overwhelming, but that is why we are so excited for this announcement,” Governor Newsom said. “Now it is about driving these projects to completion.”

In a virtual press conference Monday afternoon, Governor Newsom announced 54 counties in California will receive funds to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis. 

The goal: to ban encampments on sidewalks and busy streets. 

“People need help and we need to help people,” said Monica Drome, who lives in Salinas. “l don’t think that charging us more taxes is going to do that. There is enough money in this country to help with the mental health problem.”

The blueprint would prohibit encampments on streets and sidewalks, making laws easier for cities and counties to enforce. It would also use $3.3 billion in voter-approved funds. Between 2014 and 2019, the state of California saw an increase of 37,000 homeless people. Although this number continues to rise at the federal level, California has limited the increase to 3 percent by 2024, according to the state governor’s data.

“We need a place where people can live, because finding a temporary shelter, a building, or temporary apartments, the issue is still there,” Drome adds.

Some with mixed feelings see the need for change, but are afraid of not finding a good solution. Others like Robert LePate, who says he is facing homelessness, fear not finding a bed in the local shelter.

“I’m hoping that the shelter has a bottom bunk for me because if not, then I’m going to be out in the streets tonight somewhere,” he said.  “That’s going to be my worst nightmare.”

He says that resources should also help those who, like him, suffer from homelessness while also facing physical disabilities. KION reached out to the city of Salinas for their take on these ordinances. They say it is too early to speak of the effects this may have on the community.

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Victor Guzman

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION-TV) — Governor Newsom on Monday released a “model ordinance” for counties and cities to implement to address homeless encampments across the state.

The model ordinance includes a number of provisions listed below which the state says can be modified based on local needs.

A prohibition on persistent camping in one location

A prohibition on encampments that block free passage on sidewalks

A requirement that local officials provide notice and make every reasonable effort to identify and offer shelter prior to clearing an encampment

The guidance from the Governor’s previous executive order requires at least 48 hours’ notice, outreach to local service providers and proper storage of items when clearing out encampments.

According to Newsom’s office, California is outperforming other states with large populations in slowing down homelessness.

The state previously released a database showing where counties and cities need to improve and which need the most improving.

The entire model ordinance from the Governor’s office can be read here

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jose.romo

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV)– Businesses, locals, and tourists alike are feeling all choked up. The annual Artichoke Festival is officially calling it quits after decades on the central coast. After 65 years, the artichoke festival is bidding farewell to Monterey County.

The event helped put Castroville on the map — the small town now known to many as the artichoke capitol of the world.

“We just drove down for the day for Mother’s Day, and I did hear that the festival was closing down, and we’re sorry to hear that,” Jeff Gliever mentioned. “Had a lot of good times here, and it’s too bad, but we’re gonna still eat artichokes.”  

Jeff, who is visiting from San Jose was sure to make a stop on his way home for artichokes. He, like many others, is sad to see this tradition go away. 

“There’s like a 65-year history and then all of a sudden it just got canceled,” Josie Weisner from the Bay Area said as she picked a few artichokes from the grocery store. “It’s always nice, these kinds of events for the community.” 

Most of the nation’s artichokes are grown in California, with two thirds of crops coming from fields around Castroville. The festival first began back in 1959, moving to the Monterey County Fairgrounds in 2014. This year it was scheduled to be hosted in Salinas for the first time. 

“We were going to do all their fried artichokes for the festival so that’s like a thousand pounds of canceled fried artichokes that we had, you know, ready for them for the sale, but after that, it was just sad because it stops promoting artichokes.” 

Jose Salazar has owned the iconic Giant Artichoke Restaurant for over twenty years. He says the festival increased sales by about 70 percent back when it was still in Castroville. Since then, his small business has taken a big hit. 

“When they moved to Monterey, it was only about 30%. So the first big mistake they made is moving it out of Castroville,” he says. “I think, for all the local businesses here in town, that lost out on that income. 

The festival’s board of directors say rising costs to host the event have made it no longer feasible, leading to the difficult decision of a total cancellation. Still, Salazar thinks the years of tradition left its mark on the community. 

“It just makes you happy, and it makes you kind of willing to work harder and say, hey, we can create more dishes, we could do this because we have more and more people coming out to enjoy artichokes.” Salazar, owner of the giant artichoke restaurant, hopes the community can bring back the festival to Castroville.

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Jeanette Bent

FORT ORD, Calif. (KION-TV) — The U.S. Army announced Friday that as a part of its ongoing environmental cleanup at the former Fort Ord, they will be conducting a large prescribed burn starting this summer.

They say that during this time, that will take place between July and December, people can expect road and trail closures.

The U.S. Army saying that the prescribed burn is to help remove vegetation within the munitions cleanup area and encourage successful recovery of the rare fire-dependent plant species within the Fort Ord Monument.

If you would like to sign up to learn about when and where these prescribed burns will happen, you can sign up for the Direct Notification Program and complete the registration form online at fortordcleanup.com.

If you register for the Direct Notification Program, the Army will notify you via email, text, or by an automated telephone message that:

a prescribed burn could occur shortly (a day or two)

when the prescribed burn is started

when the prescribed burn is complete

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Mickey Adams

CARMEL, Calif. (KION-TV) – New photos show the suspects in this past Friday’s Wells Fargo bank robbery in Carmel.

According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the suspects entered the Wells Fargo around 4:40 pm on May 9 and were believed to have been armed with handguns.

The suspects are seen wearing masks, hats, and gloves, concealing their identities. All the suspects wore hooded sweatshirts, including one wearing a yellow hoodie with a Grim Reaper design on the back and the word “Rebel.”

The suspects were last seen leaving the area in a red car with an undisclosed amount of money.

MCSO is asking those who have any information on who the suspects may be to call Detective Rodrigo Lopez at 831-253-6050 or Detective Sergeant Nicholas Kennedy at 831-597-1228.

Police actively investigating a bank robbery in Carmel, prompts school lockdown earlier

CARMEL, Calif. (KION-TV) — Heavy police presence nearby Carmel Middle School brought the campus to a full lockdown on Friday afternoon.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office says that they are actively investigating a bank robbery that took place in the area.

“About 20 minutes before 5 p.m., Monterey County Sheriff’s received a call about an unknown number of people entering the bank believed to be armed with firearms,” said Monterey County Sheriff’s Office PIO Andy Rosas. “When our deputies arrived, they did locate a vehicle of interest and were able to determine there was no one inside the vehicle.”

Rosas said that a group of people were seen fleeing into Carmel Middle School, and despite the school day being over, deputies felt it was best to secure the campus.

Some locals have contacted the station saying they saw helicopters circling the area, and Monterey deputies confirm this by stating that there was a “tremendous” response from law enforcement.

Deputies say that they searched the Carmel River Bed but there were no suspects found. They also said that the lifted the school lockdown, as a result.

Rosas says that a second vehicle was located, and it has been deemed a vehicle of interest. He said that it was towed away from the scene.

Although the search is still ongoing, deputies are telling the public that there is no immediate threat to public safety.

Rosas says that an elderly person did receive minor injuries, and that person was treated at the scene.

Deputies are asking for anyone with further information to contact the non-emergency police line at 831.647.7911.

This is a developing story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available.

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Sergio Berrueta

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) — Salinas Police say Natividad Road is back open after a crash on Wednesday that left thousands without power.

As of Thursday morning, PG&E is reporting around 500 people are still without power along the edge of Natividad Road.

The road closure initially stretched from Saratoga to Boronda Road.

PG&E says power is expected to be restored around 9 am.

Highway 101 back open, thousands still without power in Monterey County

Power has been restored for thousands as of Wednesday night, but there are still just over 2,700 homes without power late on Wednesday, power restoration currently set for just past midnight.

Neighbors say that Natividad road is a dangerous one, with this far from the first time powerlines have been brought down by a bad driver. One local living in the home underneath the fallen pole says that before she bought the home, a powerline had fallen into the home’s backyard. Many now wondering what it will take for the city to take action to improve traffic safety on Natividad Road.

Highway 101 has reopened in both directions at North Main Street in Salinas.

This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Numerous power outages throughout Monterey County have left thousands without power after a car impacted transmission lines near Highway 101.

According to PG&E, a car driving near North Main Street and Highway 101 hit transmission lines, causing a small fire nearby. That fire has since been put out.

PG&E is on scene assessing the damage wth Highway 101 shut down in both directions.

Transmission lines are larger lines that connect and power other communities, such as Carmel Valley. Power lines only affect portions of cities and towns near those power poles.

According to PG&E’s outage map, more than 17,000 people are without power in Monterey as of 3:10 p.m.

Parts along the coast from Andrew Molera State Park down to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park are without power, along with Carmel Valley and near Fort Ord National Monument.

There is no estimated time of restoration.

Another part of Salinas is also without power near Creekbridge and Natividad Road. The estimated restoration time of that area is expected to be 5:45 p.m.

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jose.romo

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KION – TV) — A recent study is looking at potential reasons for a seal population decrease in Pacific Grove. Researchers are pointing to overall noise from construction and nearby traffic as potential reasons. 

Imagine sleeping while hearing the noise of traffic, construction, and heavy machinery. Perhaps a constant complaint for many who live near congested streets, yet we often don’t think that loud noises can affect marine life. 

“I didn’t realize that they needed quiet for the babies, so moms just staying and all that,” said Cindy Nachtman, who used to live in the area and was visiting today. 

“So we were just watching and there’s definitely not as many (seals) as there usually are, but I don’t know if that has anything to do with the noise or anything.”

A recent study by the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University at Pacific Grove joined various local researchers who study the population of harbor seals in the region. 

From 2022 to 2023, the study found a nearly 30 percent decrease in seal population as compared to projected numbers based on prey fish availability. Some, like Sean, who lives down the street from this beach, mentions he’s seen a decrease. 

“It seems like this year there are definitely fewer pops. There are definitely fewer seals.” He adds, “When there are people around and there are a lot of people, especially when it gets busy down here, you can tell that the noise does disturb them.”

Researchers say the seal population saw a peak in 2009 and has steadily decreased since then. They say construction in 2022 led to various miscarriages, taking pupping success rates from 94 percent in  2021, to 67 percent in 2022. 

“It’s terrible because this is like one of the only areas that’s super protected for them,” says Sean. “They know that it’s kind of safe to come here and have pups, but at the same time, there are a lot of people coming around.” 

Experts say seals often don’t return in full numbers to beaches where their populations decrease. Some, like Nick Nachtman, say more should be done to protect them.

“I think whatever you can do to make sure that they get to stay here, not only so that we can watch them, but so that they can continue to thrive. I think is very important.” This fawning season, various signs have been placed reminding visitors to remain quiet.

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Victor Guzman

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF. (KION-TV)- A new state report highlights the growing severity of the housing crisis in Santa Cruz County.

The report reveals that a two-person household earning $127,000 per year now qualifies as low income. In 2016, that figure was just $64,000, illustrating how rapidly the cost of living has increased.

“What’s happening is, we’re getting pigeonholed into $3,000, $4,000, even $5,000 rents for a one- or two-bedroom. What we need to do is continue to build at the level of which people are getting paid for in this county,” Elaine Johnson executive director housing santa cruz county said.

Santa Cruz renters say they are paying more and getting less in return.

“Just being in downtown. But even if I wasn’t downtown, I have friends who pay probably $100, $200 less than me. And they are still it’s just really expensive for not what you expect paying at that price,” Sean Lee said.

While developers are trying to build more affordable housing, the county says delays are making projects more expensive.

“When projects get held up for two, three, four, or five years, we’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars more to now pay to build it, because the material has gone up. And so that has to be recovered somewhere,” Johnson said.

The problem extends beyond housing. Many believe it’s a wage issue as well.

“The county and the city are really looking at how much they’re paying the people and how can they increase it,” Johnson said.

“The county should raise the minimum wage. I believe in Santa Cruz County, it matches the state minimum wage, which is $16.50. And that’s just not enough to pay any sort of rent,” Lee said.

More and more people are leaving Santa Cruz County during the day to find work elsewhere, often over the hill in neighboring regions.

“Major STEM jobs are out there, but the majority of people living here don’t have those jobs. They’re living based on the jobs we have directly here, and they can’t really sustain themselves with the rent that people are asking for,” Lee said.

Local officials say they are taking steps to address the shortage of affordable housing.

“We just stood up in front of the Board of Supervisors last week to move forward. Rezoning, like 42 to 47 different properties. And within those, some of them are going to be low and very low income housing,” Johnson said.

Sean Lee, a Santa Cruz resident, says he’s paying about $1,500 in rent and living with a roommate to afford it.

“I didn’t feel like the price that I was paying reflected the amenities. It more so felt like I was paying because I was so close to downtown, even though I was basically paying $800 for half of a single room,” Sean Lee said.

A chart from Santa Cruz County shows that the area median income is now $132,800. Yet even households earning close to that amount are struggling to keep up.

“I think everyone needs affordable housing. I mean, it’s not like our salary-to-rent ratio here is very good in terms of what people are paying for this area and what they’re expecting for rent,” Lee said.

According to the state report, Santa Cruz isn’t alone. Several counties in California now consider individuals and families earning six-figure incomes eligible for low-income housing programs.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION-TV) — A new report from the California Department of Housing and Community Development shows the goal posts are changing once again when it comes to who is considered low-income in the state.

It’s a metric that’s considered when low-income housing programs determine who is eligible.

In some California counties, even a six-figure salary would qualify for low-income housing programs.

KION looked at low-income limits for a two-person household for the years 2016, 2024 and 2025.

Back in 2016, the low-income designation was listed for the following counties:

SANTA CRUZ: $64,550

MONTEREY: $48,750

SAN BENITO: $51,550

The state income limits for those considered low-income has gone up drastically since then.

The following numbers are for 2025:

SANTA CRUZ: $127,000

MONTEREY: $92,600

SAN BENITO: $85,600

Each of the above numbers are an increase from 2024, too, as shown below:

SANTA CRUZ: $116,250

MONTEREY: $84,800

SAN BENITO: $78,350

To look at additional reports from 2016 to 2025 and study other income designations in this year’s report click here

Low-income eligibility levels jumped for individuals by 8.8% from last year in the San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Clara County.

A similar increase was reported in Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties, along with Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

Some home loan brokers tell CBS Sacramento they use the annual report to help clients “so it sets the rules on who can apply for some income-based loan programs.”

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jose.romo

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — The REAL I.D. deadline is May 7th, and many in Salinas are taking care of last-minute appointments at the DMV before the federal enforcement takes effect. Starting tomorrow, airports will require a REAL ID when traveling. 

“If you plan on traveling, we need your help to prevent delays. Get a REAL ID.” 

Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, says people should expect delays if they fly without a REAL ID. Some, like Bertha Barajas, feel these measures are done for a reason. 

“Well, if the government makes these requirements, they must have their reasons,” Barajas says it is everyone’s responsibility to comply. 

She visits the DMV today to make the switch while renewing her license. Barajas, like others, waited for their license to expire before making the change. Others, like Enrique Garcia, fear not having a REAL ID may keep them from traveling.  

“Yes, I think I will apply for my REAL I.D. I can now use it when I fly. What if they don’t let me back into the country next time I travel?”

Garcia says he will likely make the switch since having a REAL ID will make the process easier. Ignacio Torres agrees. “Who doesn’t carry their wallet?” he says. These changes will also apply to electronic licenses. The California Department of Motor Vehicles says, “Those who do not have a REAL ID can comfortably wait to upgrade when their driver’s license is due for renewal. In the meantime, they can use a federally accepted document, like a valid passport or permanent resident card, to fly domestically.” 

If you haven’t yet requested your REAL ID by tomorrow’s deadline, you might face delays when traveling or going through TSA.

Still, you can use another form of ID, like your passport, and continue the process for your REAL ID.

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