Good morning, Salinas.

Monterey County Fairgrounds is launching its first Winter Wonderfest today at 5 p.m. with a walk-through light show featuring 500,000 lights, a craft fair, holiday market+trackless train rides and Santa appearances every Saturday as the festivities run on weekends until after Christmas.

FuboTV and NBCUniversal reached an impasse in their negotiations over carrying the local NBC affiliate KSBW on FuboTV’s streaming service.

KSBW and its parent Hearst are not part of the talks — viewers can still access the channel free over the air or via other providers.

Four Salinas area stores now offer pre-cooked Thanksgiving meal options to help hosts prepare for the holiday—Safeway, Sprouts, Costco, and Whole Foods each offer different meal deals with pricing and pickup details.

Some stores require advance orders and have limited hours on Thanksgiving.

Central Coast Goodwill postponed the grand opening of its new store at 1425 N.

Davis Road due to permit delays that stopped work; staff still gave out shopping bags and coupons Friday morning — a new opening date will be set in the coming weeks.

California Rodeo Salinas unveiled its 2026 commemorative poster featuring retired Sgt. Davis parachuting the American flag as a tribute to patriotism and tradition.

The poster will be sold for $20 plus tax at Flair on the Farm today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at the Salinas Sports Complex on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.—the 116th rodeo is set for July 16-19.

County officials reported that demolition and stabilization work continues inside the Moss Landing 300 building following January’s battery storage fire, with ongoing soil sampling (108 samples taken at 27 locations) showing limited contamination, further tests for metal leaching recommended, and battery removal operations set to continue into 2026 while air and water monitoring remains active.

Assemblymember Addis presented a $1.5M check to Catholic Charities in Seaside to expand and strengthen immigration legal services in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo and San Benito counties— the donation will help the organization meet growing local needs.

Federal funding for permanent housing has been capped, which may strain the Central Coast and led Pajaro Valley Unified School District to consider layoffs for about 40 support staff.

Monterey and Santa Cruz counties are in a dispute over battery storage rules while Alef Aeronautics tests electric flying vehicles at Hollister airport—signaling a shift in local energy and transport policies.

Monterey and Santa Cruz supervisors discussed local planning for regulating battery energy storage systems during recent meetings but did not set definitive ordinance dates.

The counties are weighing local control so companies can choose local permitting over state permits — policy details and timelines remain uncertain.

Jeff Weimer, a local football player at West Virginia, is having an impressive second half of the college football season as he has marked an improved performance—boosting his team's prospects as the season continues.

Today, the Legends for Youth Clinic by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association takes place in Prunedale at Manzanita Park (17100 Castroville Boulevard) from 9 a.m. to noon, where former MLB players teach baseball basics and life skills for free.