SOLEDAD — Soledad Aztecs baseball team did their part when they beat Alisal for the second time 3-1 last Monday; however, on the final day of the regular season, Alisal came up short against St. Francis, giving the Aztecs second place in the Mission Division. Entering the week, Soledad had a chance to be co-champs in the division. They would need two outcomes to happen: first, they would need to beat Alisal for a second time, and second, they would need Alisal to beat St. Francis. The last title the Aztecs won was in 2018, when they went to the Division II Championships. In the first matchup b ..read more

SOLEDAD — It wasn’t long ago that the Soledad Aztecs baseball team won 11 straight games, but in their last five matchups, they have gone 2-3. With a dominant win over Alisal, however, they remain in the mix for the Mission Division title. Coming into the week, the Aztecs knew they would need help down the road in order for them to become division co-champs. The only thing that Soledad can control is the outcome in their final two league games against Alisal because a loss would eliminate them from title contention.  Soledad is currently 11-4, while Alisal and St. Francis are both 11-3. B ..read more

SOLEDAD — Soledad Police Department hosted its first Cop Camp last month for local youth, who participated in hands-on activities and team-building exercises with officers. The April 9 camp was open to youth ages 9 to 17, and had a total of 80 participants. According to Deputy Police Chief Fred Lombardi, the department’s Community Policing Unit wanted to bring Cop Camps to Soledad after seeing other police agencies throughout the state having them to “enhance positive engagement with the younger members of our community.” During the Saturday session, youth engaged in a series of police and eme ..read more

SOLEDAD — City of Soledad celebrated its 100th anniversary during the Centennial Gala last Saturday. Hosted inside the Soledad Community Center, the semi-formal affair included dinner and an awards ceremony, along with live music and entertainment. Tickets for the Dec. 11 celebration sold out in advance, with more than 240 guests in attendance. “Thank you to all of our Soledad Centennial Gala attendees for your support and participation in celebrating our 100 years,” the City of Soledad posted on social media prior to the evening event. “Let’s have fun tonight and look forward to many more goo ..read more

SOLEDAD — A multimillion-dollar bridge rehabilitation project near Soledad has been approved by the California Transportation Commission (CTC). Last week CTC allocated more than $495 million for various projects to fix and improve transportation infrastructure throughout California. Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, accounts for more than two-thirds of this critical investment — $328 million. “This substantial investment will help improve transportation for all Californians now and in the future,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “This includes moving to ..read more

SOLEDAD — After one year as Soledad’s head football coach, Jose Martinez has resigned due to personal reasons. “I resigned for a couple reasons, but the main reason is that it’s not my time,” Martinez said. “I have to step away and take care of my family.” The former Soledad High alum went 3-7 last season as the Aztecs’ head coach. When Martinez took the job, he was already behind the other schools in practicing and offseason conditioning. He didn’t become the head coach until after spring ball. “I came into the season very late,” he said. “The position had been open for a while. One of my big ..read more

SOLEDAD — Soledad Warriors Youth Football and Cheer played in the Super Bowl against the Alvarez Titans in the Pee Wee Division, but they ultimately came up short. Before last Saturday’s loss, the Soledad Warriors were 9-0 this season and winners of the National Conference Championship. After a year off due to Covid-19 canceling the season, the Soledad Warriors were able to make it back to the championship. The Warriors were coached by former Soledad High football coaches Alfredo Flores and Eric Rodriguez. Coming off a year where the Monterey Bay Youth Football and Cheer canceled its season, m ..read more

SOLEDAD — Soledad High graduate Belinda Ascencio led the Hartnell Panthers women’s soccer team to the Coast Conference championship, helping her team attain an 18-2-2 overall record.  For her leadership on the pitch, the 22-year-old forward was awarded the Coast Conference’s Most Valuable Player. The Panthers defeated Canada College by a 2-0 score on Nov. 20 and then beat City College of San Francisco at home by 1-0 on Nov. 23 in the second round of the 2021 California Community College Athletic Association’s NorCal Regional playoffs. On Saturday, the Panthers defeated Sierra, 3-2, to hea ..read more

SOLEDAD — A pedestrian was killed and two police officers were injured last Tuesday following a stolen vehicle pursuit that ended in Soledad. According to Soledad Police, the chase started in Greenfield at about 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 16. Officers attempted to stop the driver — later identified as 25-year-old Paulo Cesar Alcaraz-Ortiz — using a spike strip on Highway 101 in Soledad. Soledad Police Chief Damon Wasson Police said Alcaraz-Ortiz was driving recklessly and trying to hit pedestrians and other cars in town. “As we attempted to stop the pursuit today, one of our residents was struck ..read more

SOLEDAD — Soledad resident Rosalio Rocha was sentenced Tuesday to 18 years in prison for committing two counts of child molestation upon two victims. According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, both offenses are violent felonies and are considered “strikes” under California’s Three Strikes law. In addition to his prison sentence, 56-year-old Rocha was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. In August 2020, Jane Doe 1 told a friend that Rocha, a family member, molested her when she was under 14. Jane Doe 1’s friend informed another individual, who then reported the mole ..read more