In this morning's newscast.
Restored habitat Ensen Community Park opens
Sixty-seven acres of restored natural habitat in the heart of Salinas is now open to the public.
Jeannette Tuitele-Lewis is the CEO of Big Sur Land Trust. At Sunday’s grand opening event, she said the creation of Ensen Community Park took nearly 10 years.
"The community-led vision at the heart of this park brought together two things that are often done separately," said Tuitele-Lewis, "restoring healthier habitat for birds and for wildlife and creating a welcoming outdoor space for people."
In 2017, Big Sur Land Trust bought 73 acres in the center of Salinas. The land had once been a seasonally-dry lake bed, then farmland.
A six-acre park on the property was completed in summer 2025.
Phase two of the project involved restoring original habitat to the remaining 67 acres. Residents can now access nearly two miles of walking trails that weave through grasslands and wetlands.
The Big Sur Land Trust transferred ownership of the park to the city but will continue to maintain the habitat restoration area.
New AI executive order
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order that aims to speed up oversight of artificial intelligence in California and study new rules.
The order accelerates two AI laws Newsom signed this month. One sets up independent groups to review AI systems for safety risks. The other creates a state registry for the auditors who check AI companies.
Newsom said he acted because the federal government has not.
That reporting from our partners at CapRadio.
