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GONZALES — Congressman Jimmy Panetta visited Gonzales High School for a roundtable discussion with students about their Wings of Knowledge project working with local farms to gather data about water consumption in crops April 2.

Panetta sat down with a group of 12 Gonzales High School students to speak about a project the students are working on with Vahid Motazedin.

Salinas >> Johnnie D. Johnson of Salinas has received medals for his 20 years of service in the Navy before, but he never participated in any kind of award ceremony.

"This has never happened before," he said recently in the Salinas office of Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, where Johnson finally received the Vietnam Service Medal. "For one of my other medals, they just handed me a letter. I didn't even know what it was for."

CONGRESSMAN JIMMY Panetta Wednesday awarded a veteran of the Vietnam War with the Vietnam Service Medal, which honors those who served in the 20-year war. Johnnie Dean Johnson, 66, who served with the United States Navy on the USS Coral Sea, was presented the medal at Panetta's district office in Salinas. Johnson took part in the March 1975 Operation Frequent Wind, a largescale evacuation where helicopters were used to transport more than 1,000 Americans and nearly 6,000 Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam to aircraft carriers.

A Vietnam-era veteran was recognized for his service Wednesday in Salinas by Congressman Jimmy Panetta.

Salinas resident Johnnie Johnson, 66, was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal that recognizes his time in the region, specifically during his time on the USS Coral Sea during Operation Frequent Wind in the 1975 evacuation of Saigon as a member of the United States Navy.

Salinas >> Johnnie Johnson, 66, is awarded the Vietnam Service Medal in honor of his work on the USS Coral Sea during Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon at the conclusion of the Vietnam War. Rep. Jimmy Panetta presented the award Wednesday afternoon at his office in Salinas. Manny Jimenez, a staffer in Panetta's office, helped research and correct Johnson's previous incorrectly-awarded medal. "This closes a chapter in my career," said Johnson. "I can finally call myself a Vietnam veteran." Johnson served a total of 20 years in the U.S. Navy.

Rep. Jimmy Panetta on Tuesday announced that Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties received more than $511,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Food and Shelter Program for local social service agencies to offer food, housing, and utility assistance for those in need. Specifically, Santa Cruz County received $177,480, Monterey County received $298,982 and San Benito County received $35,317.

"These grants help local organizations provide our neighbors in need with a roof over their heads and food on the table," said Panetta in a release.

March 9 is the last day to publicly comment on the Trump Administration's intent to open up the California coast to oil and gas exploration. The deadline is nine p.m. Pacific time.

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. - President Trump tweeted Sunday morning, "NO MORE DACA DEAL." His statement comes just one week after tweeting the Democrats "abandoned" DACA, but he would not.

There are roughly 800,000 recipients of the program nationwide, many of them are on the Central Coast. Their future is still up in the air.

"Fear. Something that I feel its being timed. Like my future is being timed," DACA Recipient and Hartnell College student, Estefania Miranda, said.