KSCO News AM 1080

05/28/2021

Sheriff's Detectives in Monterey County with assistance from the SWAT team took Jose Juan Montano into custody on Wednesday for r**e and other related charges.
Earlier this year in January, Sheriff's Deputies responded to a report of a sexual assault.
The victim reported the assault took place in north county and the case was assigned to investigations.
Monterey County Sheriff's Detectives wrote and served a search warrant yesterday and located Jose Montano. Montano was taken into custody and booked into the Monterey County Jail.

05/28/2021

In a joint statement released by the Association of Bay Area Health Officials, COVID 19 vaccinations can safely be administered near the same time as receiving other immunization shots, regardless of whether the patient is an adult or child.
The initial guideline of not receiving any other shots two weeks before and after the COVID vaccine was put in place out of an abundance of caution.
With substantial data and real-world experience with the COVID-19 vaccines, health officials have found it safe to be administered before or any other vaccines.
Included in the joint statement is an excerpt from the Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel, who stated that “This new guidance will make it easier for people to catch up on any immunization they’re due for” as many have delayed medical care and immunizations during the pandemic.

05/28/2021

With motor travel continuing to increase this Summer, the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County would like to remind the community that motorists are motorists are responsible for many of the wildfires sparked along our roadways.
The agency offers these following tips to prevent starting a fire with your vehicle:
• Ensure there are no dragging chains or loose items underneath or behind the vehicle. Secure chains using appropriate safety pins and hitch ball
• Ensure your vehicle is properly maintained, with no metal pieces dragging on the ground.
• Properly maintain your brakes- if they’re too thin, metal-to-metal contact could cause sparks.
• Maintain proper tire pressure.
• Carry a fire extinguisher in your vehicle and know how to use it.
• Do not park on dry grass as heat from exhaust pipes and mufflers can spark a wildfire.

More information can be found on wildfire prevention by visiting PreventWildfireCA.Org.

05/28/2021

May is affordable housing month, and the City of Santa Cruz wants to reward those who go on a bike tour that showcases affordable housing and take photos for a contest that ends this weekend.
The contest which is ending this weekend involves posting the photos to Instagram and tagging and using the hashtag for photos taken of the tour or biking in town.
Four winners will be selected on June 7th who will receive downtown dollar vouchers valued at $25 each.
More details can be found at the City of Santa Cruz website.
Route Map: https://loom.ly/MwKSAXM

05/28/2021

Monterey County Sheriff's Detectives located and chased Daniel Tanner for stealing a car earlier this week.
He was released the prior week from Santa Clara County jail for stealing a car.
However, yesterday he also ran into other cars, committed the crimes while on bail, and resisted arrest.
During the pursuit, California Highway Patrol spiked the suspects tires.
A Sheriff's K9 unit joined in the pursuit and assisted in taking him into custody when he tried to run from the pursuit.
Tanner was booked into the Monterey County jail with a bail of $50,000.

05/28/2021

On Thursday morning, colleagues of Fort Hunter Liggett celebrated the groundbreaking of a new electrical microgrid with a price tag of $21.6 million.
The system reportedly offers at least two weeks of backup power in the event of utility disruption such as Public Safety Power Shutoffs with current existing microgrids at the Equipment Concentration Site using additional solar panels.
With this setup, renewable energy can be stored and used during the night when fossil fuel sources are normally used for electrical generation.
Officials with Fort Hunter Liggett state that this project is only the start, and the goal is to have reliable energy access to their facilities by next year.

05/26/2021

05/25/2021

DUI Driver Crashes into Patrol SUV
After handling a call for service this past weekend, the on-duty Patrol Sergeant was on his way to headquarters when a DUI driver struck the patrol SUV in the intersection of Laurel and Center Street.

The DUI driver did not yield to an unprotected green light while turning. In this situation, the driver must yield to oncoming traffic. The intoxicated driver failed to yield, turning in front and hitting the patrol SUV.

Despite an injury, our Sergeant exited his vehicle, which had extensive damage. He immediately went to help the driver and two passengers in the single-bench Toyota Tacoma.
Sgt! 💙🖤

CHP responded to the scene and took over the DUI and collision investigation in cooperation with EMS. The driver blew a .08 BAC, was arrested, and booked into jail.

Drinking and driving is dangerously irresponsible and 100% unnecessary. There are plenty of rideshare options to get home safely. Our community is lucky this guy did not kill someone.

05/25/2021

Salinas YMCA Pool Reopens-5/24/21-1603-PMD

The Salinas YMCA has reopened a swimming facility. The Salinas Aquatic Center opened to the public on Monday. Facility use is free for members however the general public can pay a fee to use the pool. The YMCA has upgraded the pool’s filtration system and the facility recently underwent a deep cleaning.

05/25/2021

Pinto Lake Mural-5/24/21-1624-PMD

A park near Watsonville is featuring informative murals. Pinto Lake County Park is featuring a series of murals painted by artist Priscilla Martinez as part of the art and hike challenge. Friends of the County Parks are encouraging the county to encourage informative murals at more of the county’s parks.

05/24/2021

Carmel Smokeless Pitts-5/24/21-1638-PMD

Beach goers in Carmel can now use the Smokeless fire pits. There are five fire rings between Tenth and Twelfth Avenues. Authorities say fires should be made with clean dry wood and fire makers should bring water to extinguish fires. The rings can be used from 4 to 10 p-m.

05/21/2021

Santa Cruz County's Auto Theft Reductions Enforcement (SCARE) Taskforce seized over a half-ton of illegal fireworks this week.
An investigation led to the arrest of 30-year-old Edgar Narez on Green Valley Rd for the illegal aerial fireworks.
With the extreme fire danger this season and lack of rain over the winter, officials with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office are urging people to leave the fireworks to the professionals, and that fireworks are illegal in the unincorporated parts of Santa Cruz County.
The Sheriff’s Office credits the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, CHP-Santa Cruz and Cal-Fire for the assistance in this seizure.

05/21/2021

Determining risk of wildfires has been done by firefighting agencies across the nation with the help of plants. In a video published today (Friday) from the Cal Fire CZU San Mateo Santa Cruz unit, the process is explained…
• Moisture content is checked of three common shrubs scattered throughout the CZU unit: Coyote Brush, Manzanita, Chamise
• This year and prior year’s growth are snipped from 4 locations in San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties.
• The snippings are taken back to Felton Headquarters and are weighed.
• Snippings are cured for 24 hours at 200 degrees.
• After the samples are dehydrated, they are weighed again.
• The data goes to a national database to help firefighting agencies determine staffing levels and risk.
And later in the video, the following update was announced regarding wildfire risk:
“For late May 2021, most sites continue to see decreases in live fuel moistures… Some quite dramatically. The Pulgas and Saratoga Summit sites are at historic lows for Mid-May”.
For more information on how to prepare for wildfires, visit ReadyForWildfire.Org.
See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsbbJKr6wBE

It’s old school science that works. Fuel moisture sampling has been used around the country for decades. At CAL FIRE CZU, we use it to monitor the current fi...

05/21/2021

Hollister School District (HSD) Superintendent Diego R. Ochoa is expected to submit his resignation to the Board of Trustees so that he may accept a similar position in the San Mateo-Foster City School District (SMFCSD) pending Board approval.

As Ochoa prepares to leave the Hollister School District, there are plans to hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Rancho Santana School.

Ochoa plans to remain with the district through June 30, 2021 before joining the San Mateo-Foster City School District.

05/21/2021

King City Manager Steve Adams announced on Thursday that he has appointed Keith Boyd as the City’s new Chief of Police.
Mr. Boyd was selected following an extensive recruitment, selection and background review process.
Keith Boyd will be officially sworn in as the King City Police Chief at a ceremony outside at City Hall on Thursday, June 3rd at noon. The public is invited to attend and welcome the City’s Police Chief to his new position.

05/21/2021

Bolado Park Events Center in Tres Pinos will begin hosting live events starting this weekend.
Kicking off their reopening is a weekend Spring Picnic and Online Auction, where lunch tickets can be purchased for the socially distanced event featuring live music and includes a picnic setting where attendees are encouraged to bring ther own blankets and lawn chairs.
San Benito County Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo will take place from 8 am to 8 pm on June 26 along with the San Benito County Fair that is planned for weekends in October.
Details about any of these upcoming events can be found online at SanBenitoCountyFair.Com.

05/21/2021

The Salinas Rodeo has announced country singer Toby Keith has been postponed for a second time.

country star Toby Keith will now be performing at the 2022 rodeo with opening acts to be announced later.

Anyone who has 2020 tickets can use them for next year, and refunds will be offered until June 3. Tickets for next year’s show are currently unavailable for sale.

05/21/2021

Santa Cruz Police officers arrested a felon who was found in possession of he**in that was the size of a ping pong ball and methamphetamine.
Thanks to tips sent to the Neighborhood Policing Team, Richeed Whitehead was found in San Lorenzo Park and was known to have several run-ins with law enforcement officers as early as the 1990s.
Whitehead was on probation for his prior offenses and was sent directly to jail.

05/18/2021

Mo Aquarium Sells Out-5/17/21-1657-PMD

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is reporting that it has sold out of tickets for the month of May. Recently the facility opened to public for the first time in 14 months. At this time the Aquarium can only operate at 25 percent until Monterey County can enter a less restrictive health tier. For information on available dates visit the aquariums website.

05/18/2021

Salinas Union High Centers-5/17/21-1704-PMD

The Salinas Union High School District has added student health centers. The district announced that it will be opening two new facilities known as Wellness Centers. The Wellness Centers will be opening at Washington Middle School and North Salinas High School, bringing the total number of centers on campuses to five. The district plans to install wellness centers on all of its campuses.

05/18/2021

Monterey Fire Engine-5/17/21-1651-PMD

Monterey has approved the purchase of a new fire truck. At a recent meeting the city council approved the purchase of a new wildland fire engine. The engine will replace the fire depatments current Type 3 wildland engine which is about 3 years past its projected life span.

05/18/2021

SC Swimmer Drowns-5/17/21-1646-PMD

A man drowned off of the main beach in Santa Cruz on Sunday. At about 6 p-m emergency personnel responded to a report of two children and a man in distress at the river mouth. A Harbor patrol boat pulled the victims and a rescue swimmer from the water. All four were transported to the hospital were the man was pronounced dead. The children and rescue swimmer were kept overnight for observation.

05/18/2021

Monterey Robbery Arrest-5/17/21-1644-PMD

Monterey police arrested a robbery suspect on Sunday. 37-year-old Masimo Lopez of Mountain Ranch is facing multiple charges after an attempted robbery at a Super Cuts salon. Police surrounded the business as employees and clients fled leaving the suspect inside. A taser was used to subdue the suspect after negotiations failed.

05/17/2021

Salinas PD Defunding?-5/17/21-1559-PMD

Due to an online petition the Salinas City Council will consider a motion to defund police. The petition wants to to cut the police budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Another petition is circulating in response calling for more police funding. Salinas has recently submitted a request to the Monterey County Grand Jury for an audit of some of the police department’s programs.

05/17/2021

Cannabis cultivation is treated differently throughout the United States.
Juan Hildago, Santa Cruz County Ag Commissioner, explains how such productions are handled locally.
“It’s very unique in the way it [cannabis] is being handled by individual states where it’s legal in California, but a national level it is federally illegal,” he stated.
“Our county board of supervisors is treating it as much as possible as an agricultural commodity.”
Hildago went on to mention that proposals for future zoning could include encouraging cannabis cultivators to move away from the mountainside because of environmental concerns.

05/17/2021

At the most recent California Transportation Commission meeting, nearly one billion dollars has been allocated for improving critical transit infrastructure throughout the state.
With over half of that coming from Senate Bill 1 funding, including the following approved projects:
• Widening and improving bridge railing at Highway 156, Castroville Boulevard, and Highway 183 in Monterey County.
• And Constructing a wildlife undercrossing on Highway 17 near Laurel Road in Scotts Valley.
This statewide funding also assisted with costs from repairing Highway 1 at Rat Creek which opened nearly two months ahead of its target date.

05/17/2021

The city of Monterey is hosting a biweekly meeting with the City manager.
The city encouraged in an online post to “Bring your coffee, questions, and feedback during Monterey Mornings”, featuring City Manager Hans Uslar.
Subjects during the meeting include programs, policies, and projects affecting the community, a pandemic update, and recent discussions on future or recent City Council decisions.
Attend Monterey Mornings with the Manager by visiting Youtube.Com/CityofMonterey this Wednesday starting at 9:30 AM and email suggestions or questions in advance to [email protected].

05/17/2021

The Santa Cruz County Chapter of the NAACP and the Santa Cruz County Black Coalition for Justice & Racial Equity invite the community to join a peaceful, socially distanced gathering to mark the 1-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police.
The community gathering starts next Tuesday May 25 during the evening around 6:30 pm. The march begins at the steps of the Santa Cruz Courthouse, 701 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz.
Select speakers, spoken word, dance, music, and poetry will be presented at the march. More information can be found by emailing [email protected].

05/17/2021

Schools within the University of California system will no longer consider SAT and ACT scores submitted with applications for admission and scholarship opportunities.
This announcement was made on Friday following a lawsuit settlement between the UC system and a student.
Advocates of this policy state that these tests make it difficult for low-income and minority students to seek opportunities for a higher education.