Category: kion-local-news

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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Maxwell Glenn

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION) – Cal State Monterey Bay Baseball made history, becoming the first team since the 1970s to win four-straight CCAA titles.

The Otters clinched the title with a 13-3 win over San Francisco State in the final game of the regular season.

Prior to the game, Cal State Monterey Bay honored 28 seniors and it was those same seniors who led the charge. 

Max Farfan propelled the offense, driving in five runs off three hits. Farfan’s senior day was highlighted by a three-run home run in the fifth inning to give CSUMB a 9-1 lead.

Senior Dominic Felice extended the lead only an inning earlier, launching another three-run shot.

Javier Felix, Jaden Sheppard, and KW Quilici each logged multi-hit games on their senior day. Felix drove in a pair of runs, while Sheppard and Quilici each drove in one run apiece.

On the mound, another upperclassman led the way, as Mitchell Torres earned his fifth win of the season. Torres threw six complete innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs. During that stretch, he struck out three Gators.

The Otters forced a three-way tie for the top spot in the CCAA after a 5-3 win to open their final homestand against San Francisco State. By the series finale, CSUMB walked away with another conference title and the top seed in the CCAA Baseball Tournament.

The Otters’ first game of the tournament is set for 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 8 in Los Angeles.

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Victor Guzman

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) – The missing person in Sunday’s water rescue was identified as a UC Santa Cruz student.

UCSC confirmed the person missing is an undergrad student, releasing a statement that says in part:

“Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends. We are in touch with the family and are providing support to others who are impacted.”

KION contacted Santa Cruz Fire and was told the recovery effort is ongoing at this hour. 

Some locals were still in shock after the two people were seen jumping into the ocean from West Cliff Drive on Sunday.

“We all got kind of spooked on the beach, definitely, so we didn’t know what happened,” says surfer Tifanny Myers.

Authorities quickly responded to reports of two people seen jumping into the ocean. Owen Lawson had just finished a surf competition.

“I saw the notification go out. Me and one of my friends ran over there the engine wasn’t there yet,” Lawson said. “There’s some people in the cliff. We asked them what was on like we’re like, did you see someone go down and not come back up?”

Lawson, a lifeguard with California State Parks and a surfer, says that question is crucial for first responders on the scene. He adds that he asked if they needed help and was immediately sent to search for the remaining person. 

“We did dive lines for about an hour up and down its beach, all the way to the north coast side and then down to the south coast side,” Lawson said of the rescue efforts.

Marine Division Fire Captain David Bodine said three teams were sent out to respond. For him risk around the ocean is year-round. 

“It’s kind of all year round for us. Now that you know you have sunny, nice days in the middle of the winter, we have swells coming from the north and south all year round, so there’s no real peak season for us,” says Bodine.

He says last year, the department had 230 rescues typically in guarded waters where watch towers are open. Surfers like Tiffany Barwick said they always try to be careful when entering the ocean. 

“I always take at least a little bit of a mental risk assessment like looking at what do I see the tides doing the currents doing where all the other surfers in the area try to check what the swells look like before I go out so I can have at least an idea is it going to get bigger is it going to you know taper off,” Barwick said.

One rescued, one missing after jumping into the ocean near Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz Fire says

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) — Santa Cruz Fire said one person is missing and another rescued after both swimmers jumped off a cliff near Steamer Lane but struggled to get back to the shore.

Santa Cruz Fire said it happened on May 4 around 4:55 p.m.

Witnesses said one of the swimmers was able to pull themselves out of the water while the other remained possibly submerged.

Santa Cruz Fire and multiple other agencies responded trying to find the swimmer.

Firefighters said after over an hour of an extensive search “it was determined to conclude the search from shore based resources,” with Coast Guard units staying on scene to search by boat.

The swimmers weren’t identified by Santa Cruz Fire.

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Victor Guzman

Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue confirms to Wake Up the city’s efforts to ask the state attorney general to file a criminal case against a CFO accused of misusing Project Homekey funding.

Three projects in Salinas were held up for months and eventually placed into default.

The city is working to get the projects up and running after KION’s previous reporting showed the former CFO of Shangri-La was accused of misusing the funding.

Instead of refurbishing the potential homeless housing sites, the CFO allegedly purchased lavish items, such as Louis Vuitton bags, VIP Coachella tickets and expensive jewelry among other items.

In a letter sent to Attorney General Rob Bonta, Mayor Dennis Donohue cited the “irreparable” harm this did to the city’s efforts to provide housing for the homeless.

The full interview with Mayor Donohue is provided at the top of this article.

We also asked the mayor if the state dropped its charges against the city for not working quickly to develop the Homekey sites. The mayor told KION he was unaware if the charges were dropped and spokespersons for the city have not answered our requests for comment.

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Scott Rates

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KION-TV) — It was a windy day at the Good Old Days street festival in Pacific Grove Saturday. Despite this, the turnout was great!

The 66th annual Good Old Days provided a good time for patrons and businesses alike.

Lighthouse Avenue packed with people looking for a good deal, to unwind and do a little shopping.

“Pacific Grove’s Good Old Days is an annual event that everyone always looks forward to,” said Scott Soifer, owner of Pacific Grove Meeting House.

Soifer, who has owned the Pacific Grove pub for one-and-a-half years, says that the event isn’t just important for vendors, but brick-and-mortar businesses.

“All of our hospitality business, my friends at the monarch pup, hops and fog, we’re all excited because everybody comes from around the area to see what is going on in pacific grove and listen to our music and sample our food,” he said.

No rain this year, and even in windy conditions that didn’t stop folks from coming out.

“We’re loving the traffic,” said Soifer. “Last year, because of day one with the rain, it was a slow start.”

Soifer says that they are finding that more of the visitors this year are from surrounding areas rather from larger distances.

“Our commitment to the folks in Fresno and Sacramento is that much stronger,” he said. “We’re really excited to see those folks coming in here.”

If you were not able to come out Saturday, you still have a chance on Sunday, and it might not be as windy.

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Jeanette Bent

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION-TV) — What began as 64 high school mascots competing in The64.com National Mascot Tournament’s western division, has dwindled down to four, Hollister High School being one of them.

The four remaining mascots are Hollister High School’s ‘Hank,’ Urbana High School in Iowa (‘Stormin Normin’), Marshall County Central High School in Minnesota (‘Northern Freeze’) and Hutto High School in Texas (‘Hippos’).

The competition is self-described as “a high-energy, bracket-style competition that’s capturing national attention and rallying communities around school spirit.”

According to The64.com, mascots are expected to highlight community engagement, creativity and pride, using design and student-led campaigns to mobilize support and advance in the competition.

The next round of competition began at 9 a.m. on May 6 and end three days later on May 8.

“The stakes are high,” wrote The64.com in a recent announcement. “Each school is competing for a prize and national recognition.”

“Now it gets really competitive,” said Justin Woo, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of The64. “What started as a fun idea has become something much bigger than we imagined. These mascots are bringing entire communities together—students, parents, alumni, even small businesses are jumping in to support.”

Hollister High’s Haybalers’ ‘Hank’ in a high school mascot tournament’s remaining eight

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION-TV) — There are two full days left to vote for one of eight high school mascots left from the total 64 contestants in The64.com High School Mascot Tournament, Hollister High’s Haybalers’ ‘Hank’ being one of them!

After two intense rounds of public voting, the winning school as well as voters can win prizes.

The contest says that every click counts to advance to the regional semi-finals and a shot at national recognition.

According to the contest, “This spirited rivalry is more than a popularity contest—it celebrates school pride, student creativity, and community spirit.”Each [school] rallying its fan base with remarkable passion and energy, bringing school students, alums, and fans together to help crown their favorite talisman.”

The West Region Remaining 8 are:

Coalinga, California | “Horned Toads” | Coalinga High School

Hollister, California | “Hollister Haybalers ‘Hank’” | Hollister High School

Center Point, Iowa | “Stormin Pointers ‘Stormin Normin” | Center Point – Urbana High School

Newfolden, Minnesota | “Northern Freeze” |Marshall County Central High School

Pender, Nebraska | “Pender Pendragon” | Pender High School

Las Vegas, Nevada | “Equipo Academy ‘Yeti’” | Equipo Academy

Carlsbad, New Mexico | “Caveman” | Carlsbad High School

Hutto, Texas | “Hippos” | Hutto High School

How voting works:

Sign up for free at The64.com

Vote in each round as the bracket narrows from 64 → 32 → 16 → 8 → 4 → 2 → Champion.

Earn chips: Every vote earns you a chip. Use chips to spin The64 Prize Wheel and win prizes.

The tournament runs for 18 days, with new rounds every 3 days.

Finalists from the West will move on to represent their region in the national semifinals.

“We designed The64 to tap into the fun and energy that school mascots bring to their communities,” said Justin Woo, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of The64. “What’s happening now is bigger than we imagined—these mascots are turning into regional legends, and the students, families, and alumni behind them are making that happen.”

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Makenzie Bennett

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV) — Chartwell School’s neurodiversity art exhibit is taking off at the Monterey Regional Airport.

On Monday, April 30 the airport unveiled its newest art instillation.

The exhibit features artwork from lower, middle, and high school students at Chartwell School is Seaside.

Art instructors Emily Garber, and Domenique Grillo, curated the exhibition that demonstrated the different ways in which their students see the world, and the ways it enhances their creativity.

“Our students see the world differently—and that difference fuels their creativity, innovation, and brilliance. When we focus on their strengths, especially through the lens of art and expression, we witness the extraordinary. This is the power of strength-based education: it doesn’t just support students—it empowers them to lead, create, and inspire,” said Danielle Patterson, Head of School, Chartwell School.

The gallery has the goal of inspiring those who pass through the terminal to get to understand the value on recognizing unique creative styles and voices.

Passersby can enjoy the exhibit through June.

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Sergio Berrueta

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV) — The Monterey County District Attorney’s office announced Thursday that 56-year-old Joseph John Cubbage of Seaside pleaded no contest to felony elder abuse and misdemeanor resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer.

This follows an incident from last February where police say that Cubbage threatened to kill his 65-year-old ex-wife.

They say that he entered her private bedroom, woke her up and threatened to kill her.

Police add that since the ex-wife was 65 years old, she is considered an elder adult as defined by California law.

“When Seaside Police officers went to the residence to arrest Cubbage for the threats against his ex-wife, he refused to exit the home,” according to the DA’s office. “Multiple law enforcement officers surrounded the house and ordered Cubbage to exit using a loudspeaker, but he did not ultimately leave the residence for more than two and a half hours.”

The DA’s office says that Cubbage is scheduled for sentencing on May 28 for formal three-year probation with a suspended prison sentence of four years that will be imposed if he violates the terms of his probation.

Seaside man arrested in hours-long standoff over criminal threats

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV) — A Seaside man is arrested after an hours-long standoff due to making harmful threats to three people including a congressperson.

According to Seaside Police, officers began investigating a criminal threats case this morning involving a man who had made threats to kill a Seaside resident, a sitting congressperson, and a former elected official on the Monterey Peninsula.

During the investigation, Seaside PD tracked the alleged suspect Joseph Cubbage at his home with a standoff ensuing.

Cubbage then surrendered and was arrested. No one was harmed during the standoff incident.

The identities of the current and former officials threatened have not been released.

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