Category: kion-local-news

jose.romo

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) — Tonight marks the final day of the 31st annual Watsonville Strawberry Festival, the community coming together to recognize one of the region’s most important crops.

While the event is a celebration, strawberry farmers say 2025 has been a challenging year for various reasons. Many are looking to Watosnviille’s yearly festival as an anchor for their sales. 

“Weather always plays into it; it’s been a bit of a cold year, but they’re still doing very strong. One of the other challenges we’ve been facing is obviously coming from our own government.” 

Veronica Reighard with Oxnard Golden West Packaging Company says fears over heightened federal immigration enforcement among field-working communities have hit close to home. 

“What we’ve been trying to help provide is a safe, fun, happy environment for our employees, but also their families,” she says. “Having them come in and just spend the day with us in our community, in our different facilities, just knowing that we’re all there together.”

Oscar Vasquez, a local strawberry vendor, says he has seen an impact on his clientele when going out to other local markets and festivals. He shares that he has seen a 30 percent drop in sales this year. 

Festival organizers are also feeling the financial strain this year. “Absolutely, across the board, we’re seeing that everything is costing a little bit more,” says Jessica Beebe, recreation supervisor for the Festival. “So there’s some, some of that is impacting pricing and costs for just running the festival for sure, but people are here, they’re showing up, they are having a good time.”

Organizers and farmers add that this berry festival stems from resilience. Veronica is reassuring people that no matter the challenge, the strawberry industry is here to stay. 

“Berries have been around in Watsonville for over 150 years, and we’re here to help make sure it stays another 150 years with the entire community.” 

Jessica Beebe, one of the organizers, says last year the festival welcomed 57 thousand people. While they say official numbers will be out next week, this year, they are only expecting about 40 thousand attendees.

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Jeanette Bent

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — Boulder Creek Fire confirmed that a two-structure fire broke out two miles north of Boulder Creek Saturday night a little after 8:30 p.m.

They said that the structure was fully engulfed and that multiple units, including Ben Lomond Fire, responded to the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

We will update this story as more details become available.

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Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) – It’s mid-summer, and wildfire season is reaching its peak across California. As conditions dry out and rainfall becomes increasingly scarce, CAL FIRE crews are keeping a close watch on how the season is unfolding and what lies ahead.

“I’m concerned about wildfire all year long,” a local resident said.

CAL FIRE says conditions right now are pretty much where they expected them to be for this time of year.

“We’re not any drier or wetter. We’re right on track for the amount of rain that we had this winter. We’re tracking on where our conditions are for June and July every other year,” a CAL FIRE official said. “We’re just getting to the point where our grasses are cleared out and very receptive,” said.

Locally, fire activity tends to spike as summer transitions into fall. CAL FIRE says they’re now preparing for the most active stretch of the year.

“Very typical busy fire season, which for us locally is usually August, September, October. That’s where we on the coast, Monterey County, really see our call volume start to transition into more volatile conditions,” the CAL FIRE official said.

“June was a busy month for CAL FIRE San Benito-Monterey Unit, with firefighters responding to a total of 661 calls for service. The breakdown includes 266 medical emergencies, 101 vegetation fires, 4 structure fires, 76 vehicle accidents, 7 technical rescues, and 207 other types of incidents,” a CAL FIRE official said.

For those living in high-risk fire zones, this time of year always brings heightened anxiety.

“I do get worried about people not properly putting out their fires, especially as the wind starts picking up and it’s hot. Really just feels like a perfect storm for another fire to hit,” a concerned resident said.

So far, CAL FIRE says the largest wildfire incident they’ve responded to this year was several months ago.

“Our largest fire to date was out in the solar fields up in March. That fire was right around 600 acres. But for the most part, all of our fires are being contained at a relatively small size, which is, you know, great for us locally,” the CAL FIRE official said.

Some residents are taking extra steps to make their homes more fire-resilient by clearing brush and creating a buffer zone.

“Our home became fire safety certified. So someone actually came out and checked everything that we did. We cleared all the brush within five feet,” a homeowner said.

As dry conditions persist and no significant rainfall appears in the forecast, CAL FIRE says it’s a recipe for rapid fire spread if people aren’t careful.

“We get a few days of rain, followed by a week or so of sun, which really let that grass crop—or our light, flashy fuels, really have those ideal conditions to thrive. So, yeah, we are concerned, looking forward as things get into that very typical busy fire season,” the CAL FIRE official said.

Despite the risks, CAL FIRE reports they are fully equipped and ready.

“We were able to hire back our seasonal workforce, which was huge. We have all the tools in the toolbox to have a very aggressive and successful run towards the end of the year. We’re at full staffing,” the CAL FIRE official said.

As the peak season approaches, CAL FIRE is urging people to create defensible space around their homes, be prepared to evacuate if needed, and stay informed on current fire conditions.

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Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) – If you’re planning a beach day anytime soon especially with your dog you’ll want to be aware of a dangerous bacterial infection that’s been spreading along the Central Coast.

Wildlife experts are sounding the alarm about leptospirosis, a disease that’s affecting marine mammals in Santa Cruz County and surrounding areas.

“Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that in California, sea lions and other marine mammals can cause kidney failure. It is a severe disease,” Giancarlo Rulli said. Giancarlo Rulli is a spokesperson for the Marine Mammal Center.

The Marine Mammal Center has rescued more than 150 California sea lions with suspected symptoms of leptospirosis.

Just within the month of July, however, it’s been more than 100, so we have seen a very sharp uptick, Giancarlo Rulli said.

Rescue teams have been responding to increasing numbers of calls stretching from Del Monte Beach in Monterey up through Santa Cruz.

“We’re responding to anywhere between about a half dozen or so California sea lions almost daily now, between Monterey and Santa Cruz County. Now, that’s not necessarily unusual in that more than 40% of our rescues occur in those two counties alone annually,” Giancarlo Rulli said.

As for what the public should look for when spotting marine mammals on the shore, there are a few specific signs.

“Some of the telltale signs for a California sea lion impacted by this disease are tightly tucked front flippers. Basically crossing kind of their lower abdomen or stomach region,” Giancarlo Rulli said.

“California sea lions and most marine mammals get all the hydration that they need from the food that they eat. And so if they’re actively drinking water separately, that’s a flag,” Giancarlo Rulli said.

While leptospirosis has been surging in marine wildlife, veterinarians are reminding pet owners that dogs can catch the disease too, often by coming into contact with contaminated water.

“It’s bacteria that enters the dog usually by them drinking contaminated water that has the bacteria in it,” Kelly Akol said. Kelly Akol is a doctor of internal medicine at Pacific and Santa Cruz Veterinary Specialists.

Fortunately, local veterinary clinics have not seen a rise in dog infections, even during the recent surge in marine cases.

“About 12 cases a year for us. The peak is usually in summer in the fall, but we have not been experiencing any uptick in our levels of patients that we’ve seen,” Kelly Akol said.

Still, vets strongly recommend keeping your dog on a leash during beach visits and getting vaccinated against leptospirosis, as it makes a noticeable difference in recovery.

“The number of patients that come in, about 50% of them are vaccinated and 50% aren’t. But again, the ones that are vaccinated are the ones with better survival, shorter term in the hospital,” Kelly Akol said.

“The earlier that we treat these dogs, the quicker. And so these dogs are going to usually feel sick. Maybe have a fever, vomit, not want to eat, which of course is a presenting signs for lots of diseases,” Kelly Akol said.

Experts say the best things dog owners can do are to talk with their vet about vaccination, keep pets leashed during beach trips, and wash paws and water bowls after every visit.

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Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) – The controversy over political artwork on public streets is fueling a new federal safety push aimed at keeping roadways free of what officials call distractions.

One piece of art at the center of this debate is the Black Lives Matter mural outside Santa Cruz City Hall.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is calling for a crackdown on what it refers to as “political artwork” painted on roads and intersections.

That includes murals like the one in Santa Cruz, which has been repainted, restored, and celebrated by the community since 2020.

B”eing a part of something. The Black people come together. At last. We come together into something positive in that this mural on the street just gave me strength,” Curtis Reliford said. Curtis Reliford is a Santa Cruz resident.

Now, with a new federal directive in place, street murals could soon be scrutinized or removed if deemed noncompliant. But local advocates say that framing the art as a safety hazard misses the point entirely.

“This cannot be seen as a distraction. And the only question that we should be asking is who is it distracting and what is it distracting from, and what is it distracting towards,” Ayo Banjo said. Ayo Banjo is the Project Director of The Village Project, Inc.

According to the Department of Transportation, intersections and crosswalks should be free from political or distracting messages of any kind.

That has raised concerns about whether the Santa Cruz mural might eventually be ordered to come down.

“How is a painting on the road? On the street is a distraction, a low 25mph living within a 25mph street? I think it’s a 15mph street in front of the courthouse. How, how are we distracting,” Curtis Reliford said. Curtis Reliford is a Santa Cruz resident.

“I don’t think that it’s a distraction. I think by being a good driver and paying attention to what you’re supposed to be paying attention to,” Glynnes Speaks said. Glynnes Speaks lives in Soquel.

Critics of the new federal directive argue that the effort has more to do with silencing political expression than with preventing accidents.

“I think taking away our ability to express ourselves through art and through statements in public places is an infringement on our rights,” Glynnes Speaks said. Glynnes Speaks lives in Soquel.

States now have 60 days to submit lists of roadway markings the federal government considers noncompliant, including murals with political messages.

That has community leaders urging swift action to protect public art.

“Every single community leader must be standing up and fighting in solidarity with protecting this type of expression,” Ayo Banjo said. Ayo Banjo is the Project Director of The Village Project, Inc.

Federal officials point to more than 39,000 traffic deaths last year as a reason to implement stricter guidelines for roadway safety. But so far, they’ve released no data connecting any of those fatalities to painted murals.

“Safety should never be used as camouflage for censorship. Right. The Black Lives Matter mural in front of Santa Cruz City Hall isn’t a distraction. It’s a declaration. A declaration that this city refuses to ignore injustice, refuses to erase history, and refuses to let visibility be treated like a threat,” Ayo Banjo said. Ayo Banjo is the Project Director of The Village Project, Inc.

When asked if the Santa Cruz mural could be directly affected, the city said they are currently unaware of any impact at this time.

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Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) – You can now legally run a food business straight from your own home kitchen in Santa Cruz County, thanks to a new two-year pilot program known as Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO).

Approved by the County Board of Supervisors, this initiative opens the door for residents to cook and sell food directly from their private kitchens, once they meet health and safety requirements and obtain a permit from the county’s Health Services Agency.

The goal of the program is to help home cooks in low-income or underserved communities get started without needing a full commercial kitchen.

“A program, adopted through the state, in 2018, to primarily assist, start up, people to start up into the retail food industry without a lot of overhead expense associated with developing a full restaurant or a market or what have you,” Andrew Strader said.

Under the MEHKO guidelines, home-based food businesses can serve up to 30 meals per day and a total of 90 meals per week.

The program officially launched on January 1, 2025, and so far, only eight permits have been issued. Still, for many local entrepreneurs, especially those juggling caregiving responsibilities or trying to minimize costs, this is seen as a big opportunity.

However, the rollout hasn’t been without challenges. Fewer people applied than anticipated, and a key source of federal funding tied to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives was cut during the Trump administration.

Fortunately, the county was able to reallocate funds to keep the program moving forward.

Since 2019, California law has given cities and counties the authority to allow MEHKOs. Santa Cruz County only recently adopted it, making this pilot program a first for the area.

“I think this sort of thing is going to allow a lot more entrepreneurs to start up,” Sean Burau said.

Burau, the owner and founder of Cliffside Coffee, spent the past year building a mobile coffee bar in his garage.

“So this is the coffee start I’ve been building for the past year. I designed it myself,” Sean Burau said.

His custom cart is powered by golf cart batteries and features a gas-fueled espresso machine, designed to operate completely off-grid.

“I’m going to be deploying this, basically spots that don’t have any power at all. So it has to be totally off grid,” Sean Burau said.

After meeting all necessary health regulations and getting his MEHKO permit, Burau is ready to bring his mobile coffee bar to the streets.

“I think this sort of thing is going to allow a lot more entrepreneurs to start up because the cost of living is already so high here,” Sean Burau said.

For him, it’s not just about business, it’s about passion.

“All I’m looking to do. Make coffee? She’ll buy the ocean,” Sean Burau said.

But there are limitations. MEHKO businesses are not allowed to publicly advertise their home locations.

“Part of the Meeko permit is that you can’t advertise at the spot, so they don’t want you running something where, like, yeah, I guess, like, people are, like, showing up, because they saw a sign in your yard or anything like that,” Sean Burau said.

Even with restrictions, mobility has its perks.

“It’s just very flexible if I’m not having, like, a lot of business at that spot on a certain day. I can go somewhere else. I go to a farmer’s market. I can book a private event. Yeah. I mean, I think the mobile stuff is a good way to work around a lot of the bureaucracy and lock in that you find in a lot of businesses in Santa Cruz,” Sean Burau said.

He’s banking on the steady foot traffic at Pleasure Point, a popular local surf spot, to bring in business.

“I’m hoping to be getting lots of customers every day at that point. It’s a really popular surf spot. Lots of people walk there already, usually with coffees from other locations. So I’m hoping that I can provide something that’s a little more convenient, right at the spot,” Sean Burau said.

Still, starting a small business can be daunting.

“If I could give any message to the city, it would be that, the process right now to start a business is very, very unfriendly. Individually, everyone that I dealt with was professional and nice, but the system as a whole is really, really dysfunctional,” Sean Burau said.

Within MEHKO regulations, Burau is limited in what and how much he can serve.

“There are limits on the amount you can do, because I think they don’t want you to be, like, operating a full size, like, ghost kitchen out of your house or whatever. But fill out the packet, give them your, like, menu. So for me, it’s just like coffee, tea, cold foam, that kind of thing,” Sean Burau said.

The pilot will run through the end of 2026, with a report from the county expected at the end of 2025 and another upon the program’s conclusion.

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Mickey Adams

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) — The Salinas Coca-Cola bottling plant shut down operations Friday after serving the Central Coast for over seven decades.

According to a Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling spokesperson, the company has completed the transition of operations and employees from the Salinas center to the company’s San Jose distribution center.

“We are looking forward to continuing to serve our customers and consumers in the area,” the spokesperson said to KION.

There’s no word yet on what will become of the soon to be vacant building.

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Mickey Adams

KING CITY, Calif. (KION-TV) — The King City Police Department is warning the public about phone calls to some locals that claim to be from Homeland Security and former King City Police Chief James Hunt.

The department says these calls are fraudulent, with a reminder that Chief Hunt is retired and not affiliated with Homeland Security.

The department saying that none of its police officers are connected with Homeland Security.

If you receive a call claiming to be from Chief Hunt, you are urged not to engage or provide any personal information.

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Jeanette Bent

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) — The Santa Cruz Harbor is no stranger to tsunamis of a variety of sizes.

In the past, some of these large waves have caused significant damage and even death.

The most recent tsunami advisory — which took place between July 29 and 30 after a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off of a low-populated section of Russia’s eastern coast — fortunately caused little to no damage to the Santa Cruz Harbor area.

“The Santa Cruz Harbor faces a direction of due south, so depending on the direction of an incoming tsunami will determine the amount of damage,” said a representative from the Santa Cruz Harbor.

The waves coming into the Harbor Wednesday morning were certainly tamer than some of the past tsunami activity that the Harbor had seen in the past.

Santa Cruz Harbor, tsunami advisory July 2025

A History of Tsunami Activity in Santa Cruz

On April 1, 1946 a tsunami struck in Santa Cruz, creating 10-foot waves that swept a man into the ocean at Cowell Beach, according to the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC).

That tsunami was generated by an 8.6-magnitude earthquake in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

Then, in 1964 and more recently in 2011, the Santa Cruz Harbor received two different tsunamis spawned by quakes in Alaska and Japan, respectively, totaling a 9.0 and 9.2 quake.

The Harbor suffering between $15 and $20 million in damage.

The Tonga Volcanic eruption from the South Pacific that took place in 2022, left the Harbor with between $8 and $10 million in damage.

“Based on eyewitness and video observations of the tsunami in Santa Cruz Harbor, most of the surveyed tsunami and runup heights are the result of inundation from the highest wave around 8:50 PST,” wrote the USGS online.

“You have the first wave of the tsunami that comes in and then impacts the coast, that is usually not the largest wave,” said Research Geophysicist with the USGS Eric Geist.

Geist says that tsunami size and subsequent damage depends on many of its origin factors, citing that tsunamis tend to come in… waves.

“After that hits the coast, the waves will be propagating parallel to the coast, and if they encounter a bay like Monterey Bay, they’ll be ringing like a bell back and forth into it,” he said.

Also, Geist says that the location of said volcano or earthquake will affect the way that it hits the Monterey Bay area.

“The first waves are going to refract around the points on the bay and then come towards the Santa Cruz Harbor, so they’re going to hit the outer part of the coast first and then refract or bend around the point and come in towards there,” said Geist. “Then, the resonation takes over after that.”

The Anatomy of a Tsunami and How to Stay Safe

USGS Geophysicist Eric Geist says that there are specific behaviors to watch out for if a tsunami is expected to hit.

“Most often — like 70% of the time — you won’t see breaking waves like you typically would see for the surfing waves, you’ll see just a step-up in water, kind of like a very fast-moving tide,” he said. “They’re very deceptive because a lot of times people don’t see a tsunami until it’s too late to outrun because they’re also moving very fast and much farther inland. They’re really tricky waves.”

Even if you don’t see anything going on throughout the surface of the water, Geist says that the currents are still quite strong beneath the surface.

According to the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, the tsunami’s height can be significantly taller than the regular sea level, even if it’s not recognizable (see the diagram below, available on the USGS website).

USGS tsunami terminology and diagram

Geist also says that since the Monterey Canyon sits on the bottom of the bay’s floor offering a deep channel for water to flow into the bay, this just transmits more energy into the area than if there were no canyon at all.

“The canyon does influence how much tsunami energy gets funneled into the bay and then resonance takes over,” he said. “Tsunamis are very fast; they’re much faster than typical ocean-generated waves. They move at about a jet airliner speed in the deep ocean.”

What’s Next and Tracking Tsunamis

The 1946 tsunami was the catalyst to establish the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), which was created to monitor tsunami activity and help reduce loss of life and property.

“Tide gauges were originally designed for harbor masters to predict the tides,” said Geist of the current tool used by boaters to navigate the waters ahead of launch. “They were designed to attempt to filter out ocean waves and swell, they happen to pick up tsunami waves so they’ve been incredibly important for forecasting abilities for the National Weather Service, in addition to these new instruments.”

These instruments, like Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPR) (pictured below), Geist says were invented to forecast tsunamis and have been particularly helpful in doing that.

NOAA Bottom Pressure Recorder

According to Geist, the current primary method of tracking tsunami power is through measuring the wave’s length, however, USGS scientists out of the westside in Santa Cruz are exploring new ways of measuring tsunami behavior throughout the Santa Cruz Harbor.

“For Santa Cruz specifically, we’re trying to put in a current meter in the Santa Cruz Harbor to hopefully help our forecasting capabilities and to just get an idea of what the response of the harbor is to tsunami waves,” said Geist. “Current meters are being more and more used to understand the behaviors of tsunamis when it comes to the damage they produce of things in the water.”

To learn more about early tsunami detection, you can visit NOAA’s Tsunami Detection website. Additionally, you can check the water and temperature quality in Santa Cruz’s Harbor by visiting the Port’s website here.

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