Good morning, Salinas.

Beth Peerless announced the upcoming West End Celebration that marks 20+ years of local tradition and community spirit; the event will be held soon at a venue in the West End.

Therapy dogs visited the incident command post in Marina Thursday morning to boost firefighters' morale battling the Timber Fire.

The blaze has burned 5,772 acres (27% contained) since it began Aug. 8 southeast of Loma Vista in Monterey County.

An outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce from Mexico lowered produce sales on the Central Coast, but demand is rebounding as schools resume and shoppers take extra care with cleaning.

Local growers confirm that Salinas Valley produce & other regional items were never implicated in the outbreak.

Firefighters at Cal State Monterey Bay base camp faced challenges reaching the Timber Fire due to steep trails & narrow roads, often hiking long distances and climbing nearly 1,000 feet.

Governor Newsom has proposed a bill to limit utility liability for wildfire damage, with legislation expected by late next week for a vote by Aug. 31.

Last Fourth of July, a fleet of drones and undercover vehicles patrolled Salinas to identify and issue citations for illegal fireworks, a measure officials say reduced incidents and changed behavior plus they plan to use the data to guide future enforcement efforts.

A report from SmartAsset found that California lost 0.02% of its population from 2024 to 2025 as census estimates show a slowdown nationally due to fewer international migrants.

The study also notes similar declines in four other states.

California schools will begin applying next week for free emergency albuterol inhalers and training over a three-year period.

Gov. Newsom teamed up with Amneal Pharmaceuticals to provide each school with two inhalers and 25 spacers (private schools can purchase extra supplies at a lower cost) to help over 1 million children with asthma.

Carmel’s football team is chasing a 15th playoff spot in 18 seasons as it competes today in its high school football tour — a testament to its keen attention to detail.