Good morning, Salinas.

A statue honoring fallen Army Ranger Ricardo Cerros Jr. was unveiled today at Central Park in Salinas next to the Veterans’ Bench—funded by a 450-mile walk by his friend Sean Patterson—and will stand to remind locals of his service.

Salinas police said an elderly woman in her seventies died in a vehicle crash near Madonna del Sasso Catholic Church on May 26 at around 8:30 a.m. (no DUI was suspected).

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office arrested 35-year-old Humberto Vasquez of Salinas at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday after a deputy pulled over a suspicious vehicle, patted him down, and found a loaded revolver — Vasquez now faces DUI and concealed firearm charges as a convicted felon.

Salinas police are investigating a crash at Madonna del Sasso Catholic Church parking lot that killed 77-year-old Marta Medina Guizar — the cause is unknown and no arrests have been made.

Netflix will debut a new seven-episode limited series of John Steinbeck’s classic East of Eden, a novel set in the Salinas Valley that stars Florence Pugh.

Although the story is rooted in our hometown, the series was filmed in New Zealand (and is set to premiere in 2026) and offers a fresh take on a local classic.

Seren Kim, a 6th grader from La Mesa Elementary, won her local contest in March by spelling bibliopegist and earning a $300 prize—she will now compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. as the preliminary rounds begin today.

The City of Salinas will hold a special meeting today at 4 p.m. at the Salinas Rotunda to review a staff report—summarizing recent police operations and community concerns—and to hear public comments on plans to curb prostitution near Las Casas de Madera.

Officials plan to test a pilot program—relocating three food trucks, improving street lighting, and installing cameras—and will spend up to $750,000 on measures prompted by increased activity since early 2023.

A new report shows the City of Salinas faces nearly a $2 million shortfall in homeless services and needs an extra $1.9 million for this fiscal year, while experts warn the deficit may grow to $6.5 million if grant funding continues to fall short.

The council will discuss funding options today, and the report notes the Chinatown Navigation Center (set to close in October without new funds) and mobile crisis response funding ending by June 30th are at risk.

Monster Truck Throwdown

2:00-3:30 p.m. — Salinas Sports Complex — Check local listings for pricing — Experience an afternoon of motorized mayhem with thrilling monster truck action.

ACP Compost Workshop & Demo Day

8 AM – 5 PM — National Steinbeck Center — Free entry — Explore innovative strategies in composting and organics recycling at this expert-led workshop.