The Buzz 02.19.26

FREE SPEECH

Journalist Don Lemon pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges on Feb. 13 for covering a protest at a Minnesota church where an ICE official is a pastor. Also pleading not guilty was activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was arrested during the protest and was subjected to a fake AI-generated image posted by the White House showing her crying during her arrest. Prosecutors claim the protesters interfered with the First Amendment rights of the worshippers during the Jan. 18 service. The arrest of Lemon and another journalist during the protest may have a chilling effect on coverage of the Trump administration, legal experts warn. “Charging journalists for being there covering the disruption does not mean they were part of the disruption,” David Harris, a University of Pittsburgh law professor, told the Associated Press. “The message that is being sent is that journalists like Don Lemon and others should feel intimidated from doing this.” Meanwhile, a White House communications official posted on X that “the memes will continue” in response to the backlash over the altered image of Levy Armstrong.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’m just going to clean it up. It’s very old. It’s outdated.” - Carmel restaurateur Bashar Sneeh, who is the new tenant of the location that housed Sade’s Cocktail Bar in Carmel. He is also the new tenant of the former Cantinetta Luca space (see story, montereycountynow.com/news)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Krista Snelling, chairman and CEO of West Coast Community Bank, will now give Monterey County and the region a voice in national banking policy. She was recently elected to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s (FRBSF) Head Office Board of Directors. The nine-member board is responsible for overseeing the FRBSF’s management, budget and more. “At a time when many community banks are struggling, it is encouraging to see the strong performance of WCCB be recognized and its leaders asked to serve as advocates for community banking on the Central Coast and beyond,” Snelling said. West Coast Community Bank, based in Santa Cruz, has branches in King City, Monterey and Salinas. “We are here to serve Monterey County with deeper resources, stronger relationships and more powerful voices in regional and national banking conversations than ever before,” Snelling said.

GREAT:

Great news for the Salinas Soccer Complex and the residents of Monterey County (and beyond) who utilize this sports facility, which draws an estimated 18,000 young players and their families every week. The complex received $500,000 from the federal government to continue with its expansion, with Congress recognizing its achievement of transforming an underdeveloped space into a sports and recreational center. U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, included the complex as part of her community funding requests this year. “This is a big investment in Salinas’ future as a regional cultural hub, and I am thrilled that Californians of all ages will get to enjoy this complex for generations to come,” Lofgren said. The grant will help with the facility’s expansion plans, which include adding eight turf soccer fields, a 35,000-square-foot indoor soccer arena and 2,000-seat outdoor stadium.