Featured

We spoke with Melissa West, printmaker and visual artist, about Watsonville’s arts ecosystem, what inspires her to create, and where you can see her work in the coming weeks. What do you love about Watsonville’s arts community and being an artist living and working here? A...

Death Cap, or amanita phalloides, mushrooms are part of a large display of mushrooms at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Friday. The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History teamed up to present the 50th anniversary event which...

WATSONVILLE—A disaster recovery center opened in downtown Watsonville on Friday to direct Pajaro flood victims to federal relief programs. The center, operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is open daily (except April 9) from 9am to 7pm at Old City Hall, 250 Main St....

Watsonville Elks Lodge recently welcomed new Exalted Ruler Warren Anderson and First Lady Doris Williamson. Peter Telc (Past Exalted Ruler) passed the baton to Anderson during the installation of officers. “Peter has done a great job as Exalted Ruler and we appreciate him,” the lodge stated...

The Watsonville Elks Car and Truck Show will take place Saturday from 10am to 3pm at 121 Martinelli St. The show will feature music by DJ Marshall Jaurigi and tri-tip sandwiches. Judging will take place at 2pm. All money raised will go to the...

Four men were arrested early Tuesday morning following a high-speed car chase that started in Watsonville. California Highway Patrol officer Sam Courtney said the ordeal began when a CHP officer tried to pull over a black 2017 Hyundai Tucson on southbound Highway 1 north of...

Watsonville City Councilman Jimmy Dutra was in Santa Cruz County Superior Court Tuesday, where jury selection began for his civil trial.  The trial is expected to last through Sept. 13, Judge Timothy Schmal told the mostly empty courtroom.  Dutra is accused of sexually abusing a boy...

APTOS—Local artist and Pajaro Valley Arts exhibit coordinator Hedwig Heerschop recently raised $1,000 during the Open Studios Art Tour for children in Ukraine. Heerschop, a fine art photographer and printmaker, raffled off one of her photograph etchings, depicting a blue and yellow sunflower. She sold...

Months after floods devastated parts of the Pajaro Valley, residents continue to rely on financial support from local organizations as they start to rebuild their lives.  While the waters have receded and a sense of normalcy has been restored, some people are still struggling to...

Santa Cruz Fire Department investigators believe that a fire that broke out Tuesday inside the former Garfield Park Church was deliberately set, the department announced on Facebook. According to SCFD, firefighters responded to multiple calls of smoke and flames seen at the now-closed church—also known...