Dear Readers,

Last week’s “State of the City” address was supposed to be a placid affair dealing with all sorts of civic issues but turned into something very different as Supervisor Mary Adams was pressed for answers about the county’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic. Mary Schley reports.

Elon Musk has conquered the worlds of electric cars and commercial rockets, and now he has his sights on high-speed internet in remote places like Big Sur — and he says he’s going to do it with thousands of small satellites in low orbits. Chris Counts has the details.

Sportscaster (and Pebble Beach resident) Jim Nantz will be the lead broadcaster on CBS for the fan-less AT&T Pro-Am this weekend. The event will be the latest in a series of remarkable experiences he’s had covering big-time sports during the coronavirus era — and he has quite a story to tell. Mary Schley has our exclusive interview.

The driver of a car that crossed the center median on Highway 101 in San Ardo two weeks ago and killed a girl from Carmel Valley has been charged with murder. The Carmel school district says it will partially reopen elementary schools March 8. Caltrans is still trying to figure out how to fix the washout that’s blocking Highway 1 in Big Sur, which means they have no idea when they’ll be able to fix it. Four suspected thieves and counterfeiters have been nabbed by CPD in two separate incidents. Thanks to the real estate boom, the city’s tax coffers are doing better than expected. Residents of local senior homes are not only thrilled to be getting the vaccine, the experience is giving many a new outlook on life. A local doctor’s inoculation clinic has been told it won’t receive any more doses. A valuable but dilapidated home near Carmel Beach is headed for a major remodel under its new owners. The Henry Miller Library in Big Sur is learning that selling banned books is as controversial today as it ever was. The City of Carmel is having a devil of a time coming up with long-term rules for dining in parklets. A Pacific Grove park will be turned into a memorial for local victims of the virus. Arnold Palmer made plenty of news in The Pine Cone during his long career playing at Pebble Beach, but one story we were never able to run was, “He won.” Dennis Taylor profiles a Stevenson scholar-athlete with a very bright future. Neal Hotelling writes that as odd as this year’s AT&T Pro-Am may be, it’s not as unusual as you may think. Speaking of the AT&T, we have a special section full of fascinating details about how this year’s event was pulled together — and how to make the most of watching it on TV. And my editorial says it’s about time the county health department started paying special attention to the places that have been hit hardest by Covid-19.

Paul Miller, Publisher
paul@carmelpinecone.com

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