Local News

A gray wolf made a brief appearance in Monterey County this week on a historic journey south from Oregon. His presence is also noteworthy for the agricultural community. Experts say spreading awareness about this protected wolf is essential in minimizing wolf-livestock conflicts.

Not far from the UC Santa Cruz campus is a 40 acre forest plot. Students have been counting seeds and measuring trees on this plot for more than a decade. That data has been used in a new study that aims to understand what our forests will look like in generations to come. And the findings suggest that change is on the horizon.

With the arrival of spring, California is showing some green shoots of normal in its yearlong battle with the COVID-19 virus. The Monterey Bay Aquarium announced it will reopen in May. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, also closed for much of the year, opens April 1.

After what feels like a year-long slumber, the Monterey Bay area is beginning to reawaken. COVID-19 infections are falling, vaccinations are increasing and businesses are reopening.

This Friday (March 19) marks one year since the first statewide coronavirus stay-at-home order went into effect. To mark this anniversary, KAZU News spoke with five Monterey Bay residents to ask them what this past year has been like. They shared their highs and lows with us.

Local wildlife rescue centers are asking community members to temporarily take down their bird seed feeders and bird baths. These bird magnets are spreading a deadly disease among a native songbird called Pine Siskins.

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.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic many businesses have had to cope with closing and reopening as the state goes in and out of various types of lockdowns. But there are some businesses that have never reopened, either because they weren’t allowed to or because financial strain forced permanent closure. 

Wednesday, February 24 is Pink Shirt Day. It’s a day when people around the country are asked to wear something pink in an effort to raise awareness about bullying. In Monterey County, bullying affects one out of 5 students in some schools.

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.

Monterey County is asking Governor Newsom for more coronavirus vaccine. Essentially, county supervisors are saying the current allocation process is unfair. KAZU News spoke with the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Wendy Root Askew.