Author: KION

Katie Nicora

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — Thursday marks the start of this year’s Monterey County Fair, kicking off a weekend of fun on the Central Coast.

All the familiar sights and sounds back in full swing out at the fairgrounds.

Dozens of classic rides returning for guests of all ages, including classics like The Alpine Slide, The Zipper, and The Medusa.

Free concerts are also happening every night at 7:30 p.m., Thursday night featuring the reggae band Steel Pulse.

Also on Thursday, all seniors 62 years and older can get into the fair for free.

There will be a rodeo on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and admission to that is free if you already have a ticket. 

Click here to follow the original article.

Katie Nicora

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) — Caltrans is announcing a month-long construction project along Highway 152 in Watsonville starting September 3 through October 3.

Highway 152, also referred to as Main Street, will be under construction between 5th Street and midway towards East Lake Avenue between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

During the renovation, one lane in each direction will remain open for drivers, but sidewalks within the work zone will be closed to pedestrian and cyclists.

Those travelers will be redirected to designated crosswalks for the duration of the construction.

Click here to follow the original article.

Sandra Iveth Santos

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV): For several months, The Rising Tide fan club has been opening the soccer fields for free at the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex. However, that benefit to the community could be at stake.

On Wednesday night, hundreds of athletes once again arrived at the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex (SRSC). More than 240 players were even waiting in long lines to get on the field.

From the first day in mid-May, dozens arrived to participate in the weekly event, which has grown in number, surpassing more than 200 players per session.

Until now, this was made possible thanks to sponsorship, fundraising, and collaboration with the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex.

Jonathan de Anda, general manager of the SRSC, says he continues to support The Rising Tide club in its efforts to offer these resources to the community free of charge. In a statement, he added:

“From the beginning, the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex partnered with The Rising Tide to make these practice nights possible, helping to secure sponsors, volunteers, and in-kind support. Our goal has always been simple: to facilitate access, so the community has a safe and welcoming place to play. We’re even currently exploring a Saturday morning option to maintain the pace of practice nights.”

The Rising Tide says it’s facing difficulties, as holding the sessions involves equipment, maintenance, and utility costs; and are currently looking to keep the sessions going, in accommodating the large crowd that shows up every week.

Shey Gibson with The Rising Tide says they’ve are facing a decision to possibly pause their Pick-up nights, and this Wednesday they held what may have been their last session. But they continue working with the Soccer Complex and other sponsors to keep the momentum going.

“The Soccer Complex offers us a discount for the night. Additionally, they’ve helped us secure Gatorades, community service opportunities, pinnies, and other soccer gear. The management at the regional complex has been a vital resource in making these nights a success,” Gibson said in a statement.

On Wednesday, The Rising Tide used the last available funds to hold their Pick-up session, that usually go from 8:00pm — 10:30pm. Gibson says the average cost of each session for the club is around $500, but for the athletes, it’s completely free.

Some of the athletes we spoke with on Wednesday said this has been a great opportunity for local athletes to connect with more people who share the same interest in the sport.

The Rising Tide is a fan club established to support the USL professional soccer team, Monterey Bay FC. On Saturday, the club will travel to support their team, MBFC, against the Oakland Roots.

Click here to follow the original article.

jose.romo

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — An alternative to public transportation might be coming to Monterey County. Based out of the San Joaquin Valley, Green Raiteros is looking to bridge the gap by providing an equitable, low-cost alternative for farm workers, seniors, and people of low income.

“We wanna make sure that they have access to their critical appointments,” says Rey León, executive director of the Latino Equity Advocacy and Policy Institute.

Stanley Dedini has lived in Greenfield for most of his life and now owns a farm. He says he sees the issue firsthand. “You got a lot of farm workers that some of them even walk to work.” He adds, “We gotta have something in there, public transportation or something like that, and we need the workers. We need the workers here. That’s the guys we need to help.”  

A need for a rideshare system is bringing back the cultural aspect of raiteros along the San Joaquin Valley. Green Raiteros would look to bridge the need for transport, providing farm workers, seniors, and people of low income with an electric vehicle rideshare fleet. 

“Every community should have their own electric vehicle fleet so that they don’t have to have the need to own their own car, and the research that we’ve done it’s over $800 per month to own your own vehicle, more if you are still making payments,” Rey says. He adds their surveys have seen people pollution from cars is perpetuating poverty in a lot of low-income communities. 

Rey says the idea for a ride-sharing program was born from his experience as a raitero for his mother, who is a survivor of cancer. At that time, he recalls driving her to her appointments from Huron to Fresno. 

“When I wasn’t around, it was heart-wrenching because she would call me almost at midnight, saying, ‘hey, my ride’s not going to be able to take me after all.’ You know, I can’t sleep. I’m really stressed out.” He adds that the stress of not having a trustworthy driver for her appointments would hinder her health.

Today, the program covers five counties, from Madera to Kern County. Currently, LEAP is working to expand to Monterey County with two electric vans that can carry three people in wheelchairs. Rey says the first step is to start in the communities of Pájaro and Watsonville with an ambitious goal. 

“What makes the Pajaro Valley special in terms of green raiteros, it’ll be the first site that will count on two electric vans that each have the capacity to hold three wheelchairs. So those people who are not as mobile will have, and will be able to count on electric vans that could take them to their appointments wherever they may be.”

Rey adds that Green Raiteros is working to establish partnerships with other Monterey County cities, as he sees a common need in the community, as in his hometown of Huron.

Click here to follow the original article.

Katie Nicora

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) — Community Bridges of Santa Cruz County is joining the effort to denounce Trump Administration’s attempts to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities.

Some of that funding could impact the non profit’s efforts to provide essential programs, such as food assistance, senior nutrition, disability services, child care and more.

They’re also saying that the fear created by immigration enforcement is preventing immigrant families from seeking help.

Community Bridges of Santa Cruz County saying that “these dollars belong to the people.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) — The City of Santa Cruz is launching a storefront beautification program that is currently seeking commercial storefront grants for up to $15,000.

According to the city, the money will provide the program support to visually improve storefronts and streetscapes as well as enhance prominent retail and commercial areas.

The Storefront Beautification Grant Program will be awarded on a first come, first served basis to eligible applicants, and the city is saying that projects can include certain exterior façade improvements to first floor commercial storefront retail, restaurants, or service businesses.

The city says that additionally, the grant program will fund minor design services associated with eligible façade improvements.

The program is open to any commercial storefront property in the City of Santa Cruz serving a retail, food service, ground floor office, or personal service use.

The city saying that applicants must be a City of Santa Cruz business or property owner.

Finally, applicants must have a City of Santa Cruz business license with no active code violations on the building or business.

More information about the grant can be accessed here.

The downloadable application and rules can be accessed here.

Click here to follow the original article.

CNN Newsource

By Amanda Hari

Click here for updates on this story

OAKLAND (KPIX) — Politics Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee introduces five-point plan to address homelessness sanfrancisco By Amanda Hari August 27, 2025 / 5:00 AM PDT / CBS San Francisco

Mayor Barbara Lee has a new initiative to combat homelessness in Oakland. She introduced a five-point plan, focused on prevention and outreach, as well as creating a new city office, the “Office of Homelessness Solutions.”

An advocate for the unhoused, Freeway, hopes she does it while still recognizing the humanity of those living on the street.

“I’m really hopeful that she will continue to put the voices of the most impacted first and foremost,” said Freeway

They say the unhoused are struggling to survive. Something Freeway experienced for years.

“Myself, I was unhoused for eight years,” said Freeway. “Me and my partner were.”

They have housing now, but they know all too well the reality of constantly worrying about safety and being moved from place to place.

“We have watched sweep, after sweep, happen for the past eight years and watched countless lives be impacted so negatively,” Freeway explained. “The impacts that it has on your health, both mental and physical, and we’ve lost a lot of friends that way.”

Freeway thinks Lee’s new “Office of Homelessness Solutions” and her five-point plan may end the sweeps.

The plan includes support to stop more people from becoming unhoused, deploying outreach workers to help those currently on the streets, providing support, temporary housing, and finally building permanent housing.

District 7 City Council member Ken Houston believes this is what needs to happen.

“It was almost like perfect science,” said Houston. “We have measure W, we have the mayor’s five-point plan, and then we have the encampment abatement plan.”

Measure W is funding the new office, it was a 2020 Alameda County tax measure implementing a 10-year, half-cent sales tax, most of the money will go towards homelessness services and housing.

The encampment abatement plan is Houston’s proposal to aggressively clear encampments. The city council will vote on that in September. Houston thinks the best part of the mayor’s five-point plan is the first point, prevention and helping those with mental illnesses and alcohol or drug addiction.

“How you prevent it is you help the mental and the AODs, you give them the services that you need,” Houston explained. “Then you get them housing. You get them shelter and services first, and then housing. Because if a person is mental, if a person is AOD, how can they hold on to housing? They can’t.”

Freeway hopes that while all this is being executed, leaders don’t lose sight of the toll homelessness has taken on the community and remember those who have lost their lives to homelessness.

“And we lean on those memories and those people who are no longer with us to continue to fight for them,” said Freeway.

Click here to follow the original article.

Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) – Businesses near the Santa Cruz Harbor say they’re feeling the impact of the ongoing Murray Street Bridge project.

City staff are now recommending that council members do not move forward with a proposed Harbor Bridge pathway plan, citing safety risks and legal challenges.

The plan would have temporarily converted the existing railroad bridge into a pathway for bicycles and pedestrians while construction continues on the Murray Street Bridge.

“Converting the existing railroad bridge to a bicycle and pedestrian bridge, and using it as a temporary detour during construction of the city of Santa Cruz Murray Street roadway bridge, comes with challenges, costs, and approvals associated with converting an existing railroad bridge to a temporary path,” RTC said.

The company points out that the bridge is still part of an active rail line and wasn’t designed for foot or bike traffic, raising serious safety and legal concerns.

Before any plans can move forward, the city would be required to submit complete engineering and safety proposals, along with a detailed report addressing all regulatory requirements.

Meanwhile, local businesses are still struggling. Some report revenue losses of up to 10 percent.

“I did $50,000 a month last summer. I was doing $40,000 this month and this summer. And that is money I need to be making and saving for the wintertime because the wintertime is going to be even more difficult than now,” Michael Spadafora said.

Business owners are also asking for more support, including extended outdoor dining permits, reduced parking ticket enforcement, and grants instead of loans.

“Grandfather our patios. We’ve had that there for quite a bit. A lot of businesses have these patios since COVID, so it’d be nice to grandfather that in for the next few years,” Mark Magdaleno said.

Another ongoing concern is how slow construction feels. Some business owners are calling out what they see as a lack of urgency in getting the project completed.

“Overtime would really help expedite that if they worked overtime. This project needs to get done,” Michael Spadafora said.

“Trying to work with a contractor down there to come up with new ideas to get the work done a little quicker. That would be helpful, too. We haven’t seen too much action on Saturdays from the contractor,” Mark Magdaleno said.

The city is recommending a measure to help ease the burden, free two-hour parking at Lower Seabright.

“Maybe not being so hard on ticketing in that area so we can get more people to come and, you know, park around that neighborhood,” Mark Magdaleno said.

City Council is expecting an update by early September on shuttle plans, available funding, improved communication, traffic impacts, and ways to speed up the project.

Click here to follow the original article.

jose.romo

MONTEREY PENINSULA, Calif. (KION-TV) — It was packed for Car Week this year. With all those people crowding the Central Coast, many local community organizations are seeing a benefit from charitable effects.

“That’s a massive amount of money coming into our local economy,” says Lindsey Stevens with See Monterey

The traffic headaches are now gone with car week in the rearview mirror, but its help to local community partners is here to stay. 

“Our hotel occupancy over the 10 days was about 85%, up to 95% on some of the weekend evenings, which is about flat from the year before,” she adds. “However, revenue was up a little bit this year.”

During Car Week, Monterey hotels saw a surge in revenue, increasing by 5 percent compared to 2024. But, hotels aren’t the only ones benefiting, as restaurants also see a similar trend. 

However, it goes beyond the restaurant and hotel industry.

“All that money stays right here in the county. It goes back to local nonprofits and supports education programs and youth programs to make sure the county has what it needs,” she says.

“We were able to raise $108,000 for the Boys and Girls Club, which is a huge win for us and right around our goal. We fell a little bit short, but the kids are really going to be the main winners with that,” said Ron Johnson, President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County.

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance says the event brought a little more than $4 million for local charities and nonprofits.

For the past 49 years, the Pebble Beach Company Foundation has been making programs like these possible, impacting the lives of thousands of youth, providing them with the building blocks for a good education. Johnson said it is necessary to look past the traffic.

“We understand that it’s a couple of weeks of inconvenience, but in the big scheme of things, it could be changing and saving lives. And we see that every day here at the Boys and Girls Club,” Johnson said.

Each year, more than 100 thousand tourists make their way to the Monterrey Peninsula to enjoy the sight of classic and contemporary cars. Lindsey with see Monterey says annually the economic impact 

For Ron, the greater impact is on the youth he serves. He mentions youth were out on Concours Sunday getting job training experience through an internship program with various Pebble Beach catering companies.

Click here to follow the original article.