Good morning, Salinas.

A 26-year-old woman (Jennifer Munoz Diaz) was arrested after a standoff at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Seaside Tuesday night when her reckless driving led officers to pursue her car and use less-lethal shotgun rounds to force her to surrender.

Grammy Award-winning rock artist Warren Haynes will perform at the Golden State Theatre on May 6 at 8 p.m. as part of his West Coast tour in support of his new album Million Voices Whisper—tickets range from about $46.78 to $78.70 and the show is expected to draw fans from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

A humpback whale named Check was freed on April 5 from entanglement in Monterey Bay, where crab traps had tied it up since October; NOAA and researchers from the Marine Mammal Center and Cascadia Research Collective worked together—removing the gear so it could rejoin migrating pods.

Today, Salinas City Council voted 5—2 to repeal the rent stabilization ordinance that capped rent increases for multifamily units built before February 1 and required landlords to register their properties and help tenants with relocations; the council also reinstated a rental assistance program amid heated public comments from both landlords and renters.

The Salinas City Council voted Tuesday to raise sewer rates so that fees will triple over the next ten years—at the same meeting, they also reversed the rent stabilization ordinance.

Royal Oaks Park will be closed to vehicle access (from April 28th to May 1st) for a road paving project that repairs dips, minor sinkholes and storm damage.

Walk-in visitors may use the park during construction (the first repaving since it opened in 1966).

On April 22, the state’s Office of Health Care Affordability voted unanimously to label Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley Health as high-cost outliers and to impose a 1.8 percent spending cap starting in 2026.

Hospital leaders warned the new limits — which will drop further in later years — may force cuts to patient care and community programs amid rising labor and material costs.

Dorothy Denning, author of Fort Ord books, led a wildflower walk on April 23 along the Jerry Smith Access Corridor on Inter-Garrison Road east of Schoonover in Marina—participants saw blooms like Owl’s Clover and Woodland Stars and were reminded to wear long pants due to ticks in the area.

Salinas Food Truck and Fly In

11 AM - 3 PM — Salinas Municipal Airport — Free entry — Enjoy local food trucks and aviation displays while exploring the world of flight.

9th Annual Job & Resource Fair

6:30 PM — Manzanita County Park — Free entry — Connect with over 50 employers at one of the largest job fairs in Monterey County.

9th Annual Job & Resource Fair

1:30 AM — Hartnell Park — Free entry — Connect with over 50 employers ready to hire at one of Monterey County's largest job fairs.

California Roots Pre-Party Wine Mixer

6-9 p.m. — Rustique Wines — $20 for general admission, $15 for wine club members — Kick off the California Roots Festival with local wines, music from Rise Up, and delicious food.