Pajaro flood

In today's newscast, Monterey County has opened a second round of beautification grants for business owners in Pajaro. And, energy reform advocates are pushing the legislature to act on bills they say would help Californians keep the lights on.

In today's newscast, another chunk of Pajaro disaster recovery money is being spent to improve streets and safety. And, a lawsuit filed against the company that owns the Moss Landing battery storage plant that caught fire in January has been moved from state to federal court.

Monterey County has been working to deliver recovery funds to Pajaro residents and businesses in the aftermath of the March 2023 floods for almost a year.

More than a year and a half after a levee breach flooded the town of Pajaro, most of the $20 million in state recovery funding remains unspent.

Construction has officially begun on a $600 million dollar project to rebuild the troubled Pajaro River levee system, nearly 60 years after Congress first identified the need.

It may still be August, but winter is again looming large in Pajaro, where construction crews are at work shoring up the battered levee.

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) has honored KAZU News with a 2024 National Edward R. Murrow Award

Through new Monterey County programs, residents can receive money to compensate for food spoilage, property losses and damages and housing assistance. Both store-front and home-based businesses are eligible for recovery grants.

Hundreds of residents are suing the State of California, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, and a host of other government agencies for negligence in at least four cases filed since December.

Local leaders signed an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers to clear the way for construction. But the project is still expected to take up to a decade.