Featured

Before hundreds of people began a march Monday morning in downtown Santa Cruz to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a solemn hush fell over the crowd as political chanting briefly ceased and the good-natured whooping died down.  “Finally,” 6-year-old Brianna Hodgkins said, sitting astride...

The former owners of Watsonville Community Hospital are facing a lawsuit alleging that they took more than $3.9 million for their own use, and that their mismanagement led the hospital  to bankruptcy and to the brink of financial ruin. Halsen Healthcare was removed from its...

WATSONVILLE—A teenager was arrested Thursday in the shooting death of a 19-year-old man Sept. 4 on Sudden Street. Michelle Pulido, spokeswoman for Watsonville Police, said detectives worked through the week and were able to identify a 15-year-old male suspect connected to the fatal shooting. On Thursday...

A new 200-foot mural has gone up across the front of Hotel Paradox on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz.  Artist Jeremiah Kille, who has completed scores of large-scale murals around town, Sacramento and elsewhere, finished the work in November. The mural spans the front of the...

ABOVE: Silvia Ignacio is joined by Regina Acosta, 6, and Mateo Acosta, 8, on Carey Street Wednesday during the City of Watsonville Santa Tour. Riding abroad a 1967 Crown fire truck driven by former Watsonville Fire Capt. Matt Ryan, Santa and several leaves and...

Santa Cruz County is presenting a Master Plan for Aging (MPA) survey residents can take that will help county leaders craft a plan to meet the needs of its rapidly growing senior population. When it is complete, the county’s MPA—called “Age Well Santa Cruz County”—will...

WATSONVILLE—Two wacky sign situations in Watsonville have caught the attention of voters in the final week before the election. On the east side of the city by the Staff of Life Natural Foods grocery store, a pair of political signs for current District 7 City...

Massive surf pummeled coastal regions of Santa Cruz County, leading to evacuations, road closures and damage Thursday.  High waves surged into Capitola Village, knocking over signs and benches, tearing open business fronts and cluttering the Esplanade with mountains of driftwood, sand and debris. Mary Ann Orr,...

After delaying the discussion for two months, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved changes to the way its science and art programs are delivered in elementary school classrooms. Under the proposal, which was presented in June by then-Superintendent Michelle...

The Pajaronian was named the state’s best small weekly newspaper in its division Friday, earning top marks in the 2022 California Journalism Awards. The Watsonville newspaper placed first in the General Excellence category, beating out other publications of similar size throughout California. The award, handed out...