Good morning, Salinas.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium will offer free tickets to Monterey County residents on select dates from Sept.

8 through Sept. 20. Families can reserve up to six tickets valid for entry from noon to 4 p.m. on their chosen day — visitors must show a government-issued ID or other qualifying proof of residency.

Chick-fil-A is opening its second location in Salinas (363 E.

Market St.) today at 6:30 a.m. and will host a Moo-ve In Party where guests dressed as cows can get free food while the restaurant creates 80 jobs and donates $25,000 to Feeding America.

Car Week 2026 will be held across Monterey County, including Salinas and neighboring communities (Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, and others), with auto events planned to celebrate local automobile culture.

The Phone-Free School Act limiting smartphone use in classrooms is now in effect after Gov. Newsom signed it, and school districts are following the new rule with existing policies.

Salinas schools, which keep phones off during class, report improved focus and no major parent concerns.

Students in Rancho Cielo’s automotive restoration program will showcase a restored Rolls-Royce at the Concours d’Elegance on Sunday during Car Week events, gaining hands-on experience and career opportunities as they present the car alongside instructors.

In a seven-hour symposium on Friday, Aug.

7 at Moss Landing Marine Labs, nine local researchers showed that the battery fire left metal residues 1,000 times higher than before and proposed a framework for future battery fire studies to cover gaps left by state data.

The Timber Fire in Big Sur has burned over 3,700 acres (503 structures at risk) and forced evacuations, as 1,000 firefighters protect homes and keep Highway 1 closed from Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to Fernwood.

Evacuation centers in Big Sur and Carmel are open to help residents and pets.

Teddy, a dog missing for over a month (found alive in a storm drain), was rescued and is now reunited with her owner at a local shelter.

Smoke from the Timber Fire is reaching parts of Monterey Peninsula today while Car Week events draw large crowds at Laguna Seca and Pacific Grove, with moderate air quality noted.

Organizers warn travel delays may occur + fans continue to enjoy the festivities.

Veronica O’Shea (septuagenarian racer) will race her 1966 MG Midget at Laguna Seca Raceway during Monterey Classic Car Week, while her husband, David Zurlinden, will drive a 1953 Tatum GMC Special ahead of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.