Erika Mahoney

Highway 1 is scheduled to reopen early this summer. A section of the road on Big Sur’s south coast is closed after a debris flow washed out both lanes. The work to repair the damage will begin Monday, March 1.

Valentine’s Day is this Sunday. For one local couple, who is very much in love, Valentine’s Day should be carefree. Instead, it’s a painful reminder of a national policy they say prevents them from tying the knot.

The Big Sur community finds itself in yet another hardship now that a southern coast section of Highway 1 is closed. This hardship comes after a major wildfire last summer, the storm and debris flows last week and the ongoing pandemic. 

The powerful storm that caused outages, flooding and mudflows also washed out part of Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast. Caltrans crews and emergency contractors are now assessing the damage.

There’s been a lot of confusion about COVID-19 and the distribution of the vaccine. That's because it’s complicated. There’s confusion over how and when the vaccine will be distributed and confusion over a batch that caused some allergic reactions. KAZU’s Erika Mahoney has been following the developments.

On a chilly December morning, Bree Machuca walks into the entrance of Pacific Grove’s Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. With binoculars in hand, she’s searching for the orange and black symbol of the coastal city. Pacific Grove is nicknamed “Butterfly Town, U.S.A.” because thousands of western monarchs usually spend the winter there. But this year, its sanctuary is empty.

When rioters breached the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, setting off a day of disturbing chaos, the Central Coast’s Congressman, Jimmy Panetta, was in his office on Capitol grounds on a Zoom call about the COVID-19 vaccine. KAZU News’ Erika Mahoney spoke with him about the moments that followed and what’s next. 

The Monterey Peninsula is getting its first shelter specifically for single homeless women and families with children, including single fathers. According to the most recent homeless census, 35 percent of those without a place to call home are women and 25 percent are families in Monterey County. But that census was a year ago. After months of COVID-19, that number is expected to grow. 

With Monterey County hospitals full of COVID-19 patients, the county’s health officer has decided to voluntarily opt into the state’s new “Regional Stay Home Order.” This move follows five other counties in the Bay Area who also opted in early. 

With over 1 million total confirmed COVID-19 cases and surging, California is pumping the brakes on reopening. We checked in with Dr. Allen Radner for the fourth time since the beginning of the pandemic. He’s Chief Medical Officer of Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System and an infectious disease specialist. Last weekend (November 14-15, 2020), Monterey County hospitals had 51 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, an all time high.

It’s that time of year again when thousands of western monarch butterflies begin to show up in the Monterey Bay area to spend the winter. They come from all over the western United States and southwestern Canada. 

Historically, youth voter turnout is low. But young people are more engaged than ever before. Voter registration numbers among California college students tripled this election season compared to all of 2016, according to the state. KAZU spoke with young voters in our community who are making their mark this election.

As the pandemic shakes up how we vote, Santa Cruz County has rolled out something new, a mobile voting center. Called the “VoteMobile,” it has been cruising through the county since mid-October, bringing voting directly to residents. Not only is the VoteMobile serving those who can’t venture far from their homes due to COVID-19, it’s also helping those who lost their homes in the CZU Lightning Complex fire.

Early voting began this week in California and mail-in ballots started landing in mailboxes. Besides the important decisions you’ll make on candidate races, ballot props and, of course, the next president, you also have to figure out how to cast your ballot.

This year, amid a pandemic, all registered voters in California will receive a ballot in the mail. Locally, ballots are already beginning to arrive. There’s a lot to keep track of and a lot of curiosity, like how is my signature verified? Gail Pellerin, Santa Cruz County’s chief elections official, answered our questions.