Good morning, Salinas.

Dolly Parton’s family urges residents to honor her legacy by donating to the Imagination Library that sends free books to children from birth to age 5.

Contributions can be directed to local partners in San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties to support early literacy.

On Friday, Aug.21, California Superintendent Tony Thurmond visited Boronda Meadows Elementary in Salinas where he joined a student panel & read aloud to a third-grade class, emphasizing efforts to boost literacy and community engagement.

MPUSD officials announced Tuesday that 12 schools earned platinum and three schools earned gold in the California PBIS Recognition Program, marking the first year every school received recognition.

The awards highlight the district’s commitment to supportive student environments.

The Timber Fire in Big Sur has burned nearly 16,000 acres and remains 26% contained as evacuations continue; Highway 1 is open and more than 1,400 firefighters and air tankers are battling the blaze.

Residents in Salinas are urged to review a video guide for wildfire evacuation preparation today, which details checking local alerts, assembling a go-bag, and protecting homes.

The instructions also cover how to secure pets and essential medications before conditions worsen (prepared steps provided).

Monday, Aug. 24 Powerball numbers were 3, 16, 33, 38, 68 (with Powerball 2) with no jackpot winner and 33,980 winning tickets in California.

Today, the jackpot is estimated at about $96 million and Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot has grown to $130 million with a $55.5 million cash option.

Hartnell’s football team—once using a smaller roster—now has 85 players and plans to build on last season’s late charge by using lessons learned from earlier challenges.

Santa Cruz High will try for back-to-back league titles as the high school football season opens Thursday.

The Santa Lucia division — which welcomes the Greenfield Bruins from Mission South after a tough 2025 season — sets the stage for new rivalries.