Category: kion-local-news

Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) – CAL FIRE is on alert tonight, keeping a close eye on the threat of dry lightning in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The risk is considered low, but crews remain ready just in case. And for people who’ve lived through past fires, even the smallest chance is enough to start preparing.

People in the Santa Cruz Mountains are watching the forecast closely.

“It really kind of gives me PTSD because of what happened with the fires here before,” Kurt Hoerzing, who lives in Boulder Creek, said.

CAL FIRE officials say they are staying prepared.

“It’s forecasted, the potential for dry lightning. And it’s actually a very low probability right now. We did have some lightning strikes yesterday afternoon, down off of Big Sur out in the ocean. But the possibility is still here, and we’re preparing for it,” CAL FIRE CZU Unit Forester Richard Sampson said.

Crews have ramped up staffing and positioned resources in case conditions change.

“We haven’t had any strikes up in the San Mateo or Santa Cruz unit, so we’re not actually looking, but anywhere in the unit potentially could have a lightning strike. In preparation, we’re looking at pre-positioning resources. We’ve staffed up additional firefighter hand crews,” Sampson said.

“If we do get lightning, we’re usually watching the area for about 4 to 5 days,” Sampson said.

While conditions are not yet at their worst, the peak of fire season is approaching.

“We’re not quite at the critical like we would have in October, but we’re approaching. It’s been actually fairly damp, mostly in the lower elevations with the summer that we’ve had, and everything’s still actually fairly green,” Sampson said.

“But come October, and depending on what the weather does in October and into November, we could be in the critical levels. And so we’re monitoring that,” Sampson said.

For communities like Boulder Creek, even the possibility of lightning sparks serious concern.

“It really kind of gives me PTSD because of what happened with the fires here before,” Hoerzing said.

“Our first thought is always fire, because that’s like the most significant impact,” Brian Kwong, who lives in Felton, said.

“I remember at night you look out and you see these flashes in the distance. No rain, but just flash, flash, flash. And then you wake up the next morning, it’s like, oh, there’s like 50 fires everywhere,” Kwong said.

Locals know how quickly things can escalate, especially with dry brush and heat.

“There’s a lot of dry brush here. You have some dead trees dying, and then it heats up. And we know that with the CZU fires, it burned pretty quickly,” Hoerzing said.

That’s why defensible space and preparation remain critical.

“Defensible space can play a pretty big role in terms of how a fire spreads,” Kwong said.

“I cleared my whole area around the house, cleared out, cut the trees down, all the brushes and stuff like that,” Hoerzing said.

CAL FIRE says if they do see lightning, they’ll monitor that area for four to five days, watching for any fires that might smolder before flaring up.

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Sergio Berrueta

CASTROVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) – Monterey County’s North County Parks and Recreation Board is bringing back the Artichoke Festival after a big push from the Castroville community.

There will be two versions of the artichoke festival next year. The first event will feature around 50 vendors and take place along Castroville’s main drag, near the recreation center.

A second, larger event will take place between October and November.

Organizers say that the goal is to engage local seniors and kids while providing an opportunity for local businesses to get involved.

They also stress that both events will be alcohol free.

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Jeanette Bent

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) – A 22-year-old resident has been arrested for fleeing the scene of a vehicle fire on Dimeo Lane early Thursday morning.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident happened at 3 a.m. on Highway 1 near Dimeo Lane after a Honda Civic crashed into a parked car and a home.

Both cars and the home caught fire, with fire crews extinguishing the flames. no one in the home was injured.

The driver, a 22-year-old from Soquel, was arrested at the crash site later on. They were arrested for DUI and hit-and-run.

The driver had also sustained major injuries as a result of the incident.

Two vehicle fires flare up the Central Coast Thursday morning

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV) — In Santa Cruz County, firefighters from the city’s fire department, CAL FIRE CZU, and Scotts Valley Fire prevented a vehicle fire from becoming a wildland fire near Dimeo Lane and Highway 1, north of Wilder Ranch.

Crews said that an aggressive initial attack prevented the fire from spreading further.

Firefighters did say that the initial fire had spread to a nearby structure as well as a second vehicle.

“Due to a lack of hydrants in the area, additional water tenders and two engines were requested,” wrote CAL FIRE CZU San Mateo-Santa Cruz unit on Facebook. “Once CAL FIRE CZU engines and more resources arrived, the fire was extinguished.”

They said that a total of three CAL FIRE CZU engines, two Santa Cruz City Fire engines, and a water tender from Scotts Valley Fire District and Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Company 37 assisted with the operation, with CHP – Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office offering traffic control.

Over in the area of Mission Vineyard and San Juan Canyon Road in San Benito County, firefighters also battled a vehicle fire.

Aromas Engine 35 and Engine 4677 assisted Hollister Fire with the fire that involved a minivan fully engulfed.

Crews said that there was no spread to nearby vegetation thanks to quick action and strong coordination by crews on scene.

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Sergio Berrueta

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (KION-TV) – Scotts Valley is moving forward with plans for a new seven-acre dog park.

The city council will approve a design team this week. It would be part of Al Shugart Park, located at 350 Glenwood Drive.

Dog park plans have been in the works since 2008, but a city report says they stalled due to budget limitations and changes in city staffing.

The city is now ready to make those plans a reality, including two separate off-leash spaces, one for small dogs and one for big dogs.

There will also be drinking fountains with pet bowls, picnic tables, and bike racks. 

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Sergio Berrueta

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KION-TV) – A popular spot in Pacific Grove is temporarily closed after an early morning fire on Friday.

According to the Monterey Fire Department, the fire happened at 2:20 a.m. at Hops and Fog Brewing Company on Lighthouse Avenue.

Crews worked to contain the fire while one worker and a resident above the brewery evacuated.

Hops and Fog Brewing Company suffered minor damage after an early morning fire. Courtesy: Hops and Fog Brewing Company

The fire was contained within 20 minutes of arriving at the scene, with no one hurt.

The brewing company posted on their social pages that the damage is minimal and that they will be closed for a bit as they work on the damage.

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Victor Guzman

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — CHP Santa Cruz confirms at least one person is dead after a crash along Highway 9 near Brackney Road north of Felton.

The CHP says the two-car, head-on collision happened around 8:20 a.m., leaving the road closed for hours after the crash.

The victim being identified as 80-year-old Joyce Patricia Elmore from Felton.

Officers say the other driver, a 24-year-old woman from Santa Cruz, was not hurt in the crash.

The cause is currently under investigation and it’s unknown whether drugs or alcohol played a part. 

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Ata Shaheen

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) — Salinas Police said they found three people with gun shot wounds on Cross Avenue near Bardin Road Friday night after 11 pm.

A 20-year-old and 17-year-old were already dead when they got there and another 17-year-old is in stable condition at the hospital.

Police shared the name of one of the victims, 20-year-old Jesus Guido, but nothing about the circumstances of the shooting.

“You’re going to look at the headline and you’re going to think it’s gang violence just because of all the stories, all of our family, all of our, all of our friends that have gone down that route,” said Angelo Raya Medrano of Salinas.

He said, sadly he’s not surprised to hear this happened, especially in the Alisal neighborhood.

“It’s a story we’ve all heard, and growing up, you know, you can’t wear red shoes, blue shoes,” he said.

Earlier this month, a bakery on the same block was robbed at gunpoint, and neighbors say that’s still not the full picture of their worries.

“Some people drive really fast right there. They not respect the lives of people, crossing the street. They not, its not safe,” said neighbor Carlos Cortes.

Violence in Alisal goes back decades.

“This part of Salinas, you know, was notorious for gang violence back in the 90s. I mean, Bill Clinton came and gave a speech, in downtown in 1994, and he was talking about how we need to clean up,” said Raya Medrano.

A lot of people agree, however, that it’s not as bad as it was.

“We’ve definitely gotten better, the new developments, the rising housing costs, definitely push down on a lot of gang related activity… you see so many more people walking around different areas that some people wouldn’t,” said Angelo’s brother Diego.

Salinas Police reported just 6 murders last year. Ten years ago they reported 40.

Angelo said until there’s more investment in Alisal, with safety nets for the youth, gang violence won’t just go away.

“You can fill these streets with police and try and get that lockdown unless the issue of class inequality, of housing, of food inequalities, also of job inequalities… you have more stress, more pressure, you don’t care… and then you take up arms, you have that issue with each other, and you just, you just die.”

Investigators are still trying to pin down a potential suspect and figure out what led up to the shooting. Police are expected to share an update next week.

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Madison Wilber

SAN BENITO COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) County supervisors are discussing a potential tax rebate program. The Transient Occupancy Tax on hotels in the area is expected to incentivize the development of new infrastructure and promote renovations on existing hotels. 

“There are more hotels on this side. I think that they should add hotels to the other side of town. I mean, I know Ridgemark has a few places where you could stay, but most hotels are on this side of the town.” Jennifer McBain, a bartender at downtown’s Johnny’s Bar and Grill, says a boost in tourism would mean positive things for local businesses.

“I mean, more hotels and more people, more traffic, congestion, but definitely more people. We like tourism,” she adds.

County reports say they currently lack the necessary infrastructure to welcome the nearly 7 million potential visitors who live an hour’s drive away. The program would generate $475 thousand annually in tax revenue. 

“There are a lot fewer tourists coming through,” says Danny DeLuna, chef at Danny’s Smoke and Grill. “There are obviously the locals that come through; it’s primarily the locals. When we get people from out of town, it is because we have big events like the 4th of July, which really is a benefit to downtown businesses, whether it’s here or any other business,” he adds. “It’s a great weekend to make a lot of money.” 

Danny says he has seen fewer tourists since the pandemic, yet recent festivals and events have brought people back to Hollister. “As of right now, we don’t have too many things that are inviting people back and giving them a really good reason to come and hang out here.” 

DeLuna knows that with further investment in the hotel industry, businesses along the downtown area will also see an economic boost, yet he remains skeptical, saying more should be done to help local restaurants along the downtown corridor.

“We’re doing good things here, and we definitely invite people to come down here to try this stuff because there are new places popping up every little while,” he adds. “There are new places everywhere. Come spend your money at them because this is how we survive.

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors is set to discuss the recommendations from the Tourism Advisory Committee at Tuesday’s meeting.

San Benito County committee updates incentive program proposal for hospitality development

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION) — San Benito County’s Tourism Advisory Committee has new additions in their discussion surrounding their proposed hotel incentive program.

The latest version of the proposal acknowledged smaller hotels that might come this way and hotels that already exist in the area — giving those existing developers a better chance to compete with incoming businesses.

“As we’re trying to drive interest in new development, we don’t want to accidentally disadvantage any constituencies that already live and operate here in San Benito County.” Christian Pillsbury, a Tourism Advisory Committee member, said.

The proposal from the start has been all about increasing tourism in San Benito County as much as possible and getting people not just to come to the national park around the corner but to stay overnight and support local businesses. 

The proposed program would incentivize hotel developers to come build in the area by giving a portion of their transient occupancy tax, a common hotel tax, back. 

Today was about existing developments taking advantage of their some of their own TOT money to make upgrades, to be able to viably compete with incoming developments. 

“We wanted to make sure that we didn’t accidentally carve those folks out,” Pillsbury said.

The funding for this program comes from within itself. The county would only be giving back portions of the money that the hotels generate from their tax pool; meaning ideally zero county funds would be used to sponsor this program. 

The committee approved this proposal to move forward and be seen by the San Benito County of Supervisors. 

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Sergio Berrueta

SAN BENITO COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — San Benito County supervisors will hear plans for a new program that would prioritize locals when it comes to affordable housing units.

The Local Tenant Preference Ordinance would apply to certain individuals and families during the application process.

This includes people who live or work locally, school district and agriculture workers, seniors, people with disabilities, and more.

Supervisor Kosmicki says this part of the board’s efforts to focus more on affordable housing instead of the single-family developments built in recent decades.

San Benito County to approve Local Tenant Preference ordinance

SAN BENITO COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) – San Benito County is moving forward with a new program that will prioritize locals when it comes to affordable housing units.

The Local Tenant Preference ordinance means existing residents will be given preference on applications for affordable housing units.

This includes current and displaced residents, local county and school district workers, and those facing high rent or household costs. Other preferred applicants include public safety workers, first responders, and healthcare workers.

Supervisor Kosmicki says this is part of the board’s efforts to focus more on affordable housing instead of the single-family developments built in recent decades.

Other policies, along with the ordinance, include requiring more affordable housing projects to meet housing market standards, creating mixed-use developments, and preventing housing development projects in areas prone to fires or flooding.

The Board of Supervisors will return for a formal approval at the meeting on Sept. 23.

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Ata Shaheen

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) — The back-and-forth over a referendum concerning renter protection ordinances in the city of Salinas continues this week.

Council members picking talks back up on Tuesday.

They must decide whether to bring the ordinances back while also modifying them, or leave it up to voters.

During the last meeting, at least one council member who previously voted to repeal the ordinances looked to switch sides, filing a motion to “repeal the repeal.”

The move was made by council member Jose Luis Barajas, however, was not seconded, which delayed the final decision.

Salinas City Council accepts referendum saving tenant-protection ordinances; ultimate fate still TBD

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) – The Salinas City Council accepted the results of a grassroots referendum blocking their vote to strip four renter-protection ordinances

It’s the latest stage in an ongoing saga between the council and tenants’ activists.

The group Protect Salinas Renters has been fighting for almost three months now to “repeal the repeal”.

Activists had worked with the previous city council last year to secure a rental registry, tenant-anti-harassment ordinance, regulations on evictions, and a cap on annual rent hikes.

This past June, all five new council members voted to roll those protections back.

“People are working two, 3 to 4 jobs to keep a roof over their head. And it’s wrong. It’s wrong. It’s like in this country, you should be able to afford to live,” said Bill Freeman of Salinas.

Protect Salinas Renters launched a signature-gathering campaign to block the city council, and after the elections office verified at least 7,000 signatures – one in ten Salinas voters – the council had no choice but accept that referendum tTuesday night.

“I respect what you have done. You’re to be congratulated for the work and effort you’ve put in to express your point of view, and, and, and it’s hard also not to be impressed by that and commitment to democracy and the people,” said Mayor Dennis Donohue.

Next up, the city council will decide to either let the ordinances stay, or allow voters to decide their fate.That would either be a ballot measure in next year’s election or a standalone choice in a special election much sooner.

Many of the activists hoped their petition would end the debate, but they don’t have much faith that the battle is over.

“It’s a lot more challenging with this city council than it was with the previous city council. But we have some more time to go, you know, and we’re looking forward we’re looking forward to to this. This will ultimately make us stronger,” said Luis ‘xago’ Juarez.

A special election for the issue would cost Salinas between $1 million and $1.7 million, while adding it to the ballot next November would cost between $500,000 and $700,000.

Councilmember Andrew Sandoval – one of two seats held over from the previous council, and one of two council members who opposed the protections repeal in June – made sure his colleagues acknowledged that cost as well.

“The next item up for discussion is funding homeless. If my colleagues decide that there’s no money for homeless but decide that they want to spend $1.5 million on a special election, we should question that a little bit,” he said.

Mayor Donohue has in the past suggested that the ordinances would exacerbate the housing crisis and it would be better to instead support more housing construction.

“People of goodwill, different points of view, so now let’s see what the next couple weeks bring us and let’s just hope that’s a good solution for this entire community because there’s real work to be done,” he said.

Councilmember Sandoval suggested holding educational workshops for both tenants and landlords to explain the details of the ordinances.

Other council members said they wanted to hear from the community on both sides before the next meeting on September 9.

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