County Supervisor candidate Dutra faces sexual assault lawsuit
WATSONVILLE—A man has filed a civil lawsuit in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, claiming that 4th District Supervisorial candidate Jimmy Dutra molested him when he was 12.
A case management conference is scheduled for Feb. 3.
The Pajaronian typically does not name victims in stories involving...
Six from PVUSD earn competitive national scholarship
As high school seniors across the nation plan their adult lives, many are considering colleges and universities. Invariably, these questions are guided by a single factor: how to pay for it.
While scholarships are an option, these are often competitive and come with a host...
Wood-fired pizza restaurant opens doors in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—A new wood-fired pizza restaurant recently opened in the East Lake Village Shopping Center. Sandwiched between the Villager bar and Carmona’s BBQ and Catering, Uncie Ro’s is the latest addition to the busy center.
“We’re just happy to be able to open our doors to...
A life, preserved: In memory of famed local taxidermist Richard Gurnee
Watsonville native Richard Gurnee, who revolutionized the field of scientific taxidermy by pioneering a freeze-drying technique still employed worldwide, died in October after a brief illness. He was 87.
Gurnee graduated from Watsonville High School in 1954, and then studied zoology at Humboldt State University.
But...
Man killed in shooting
WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man was shot and killed Sunday afternoon in downtown Watsonville.
Watsonville Police Sgt. Jarrod Pisturino said the shooting took place around 11:16am between the 100 block of Brennan Street and the 100 block of Sudden Street in a large parking lot shared by...
Substitute teacher no longer employed after racist rant
A longtime Pajaro Valley Unified School District substitute teacher is no longer working with the district after an expletive-laden, racist rant following a fender-bender was posted to TikTok on Monday.
PVUSD interim Superintendent Murry Schekman did not name the teacher, and did not confirm that...
Watsonville native leads San Jose mayoral race
Watsonville-raised Matt Mahan is favored to become the next mayor of America’s 10th largest city.
The San Jose city councilman’s lead over Santa Clara County supervisor Cindy Chavez grew slightly Wednesday, to 4,766 votes, as ballot counting at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters...
Pregnant woman ID’d in fatal crash
WATSONVILLE—A 33-year-old pregnant woman died Thursday night as she walked across South Green Valley Road and was struck by a car.
She has been identified as Marlyn Uribe of Watsonville by the Santa Cruz County Coroner’s Office.
Watsonville Police said that, according to witnesses, Uribe was...
Kids who were forced into therapy program return home
In October, a Santa Cruz teen and her younger brother were violently taken from a relative’s house, driven to Los Angeles and forced into a family therapy program with their mother. They were then taken to Washington to live with her. Seven months later,...
Flooding causes widespread damage in Watsonville, countywide
WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County is considering making a disaster declaration in the wake of the massive rainstorm that brought flooding to several parts of the county, according to Santa Cruz County spokesman Jason Hoppin.
The County is still waiting on responses from State and federal officials.
“Yesterday...
Countywide history fair set for Watsonville
In the late 1800s, Claus Spreckels ran a mill that processed locally grown sugar beets, a thriving industry that is generally credited with seeing...