Kazu - Listen Local Podcast

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.

With last week’s winter storm behind us, damage assessments are underway. KAZU News spoke with some of the people who predicted what could happen with a rain storm of this kind to see if their fears came to fruition.

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.

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors tried to clear up any misunderstandings about the timing and rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations this week. At its regular meeting, the Board heard from various groups involved in the rollout who said they’re ready, they just need more doses of vaccine. KAZU’S Doug McKnight attended the meeting and spoke with KAZU's Erika Mahoney about the county’s plans.

A group of linguists at UC Santa Cruz are on a mission to save a rarely studied endangered language. Through investigation and collaboration, they hope to preserve an indigenous language spoken by communities from Mexico now living in the Monterey Bay area.

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.

Fire season in California is now year round. That was very apparent locally when multiple fires ignited in Santa Cruz County late Monday , prompting evacuations. KAZU News reports on the weather conditions that precipitate wildfire.

A Pacific Grove police officer placed on administrative leave for allegedly posting racist comments on social media is no longer employed at the department. It marked the second time he was investigated and put on administrative leave within the past eight months.

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.

Locally, staying at home has become the norm. But this forced constriction has brought to life the idea of flourishing within the boundaries of a smaller world. And one of the ways to do that is through backyard exploration -- going on an adventure in a familiar place.

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.

The rainy season is upon us here in the Monterey Bay area and because of this summer’s major wildfires, the season will be accompanied with a significant risk of debris flows. KAZU News reports on the many local communities at risk.

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.

UPDATED Dec. 22, 1:30 p.m. Governor Gavin Newsom selected California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ Senate seat on December 22, 2020, after the following story aired. It’s a historic choice as Padilla will be the first Latino senator to represent California.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, facilities that care for the elderly have been hot spots for the spread of COVID-19. And a new report says nationwide new cases in nursing homes have reached record numbers this month. Locally, some have been able to stop the virus from entering their facilities, but others have not.

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.

Over the last month, counties neighboring Monterey County have seen a decreased spread of the coronavirus and have been allowed to drop restrictions on many businesses. That hasn’t happened in Monterey County. KAZU News explains the extremely complicated process of reopening.

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.

Tuesday is Election Day and polling places look a lot different this year. The coronavirus has completely changed the in-person voting experience. KAZU looked into what pandemic election preparedness looks like.

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.