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Watsonville
March 28, 2024

Hernandez leads Dutra in race for 4th district

WATSONVILLE—Felipe Hernandez has taken an early lead on Jimmy Dutra in the race for the 4th District Santa Cruz County Supervisor seat, according to initial results reported by the County Elections Department. Hernandez, the former mayor of Watsonville and current member of the Cabrillo College...

Santa Cruz County Supervisors move forward on housing element update

santa cruz county seal logo
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took a close look at an upcoming update to the housing element of the county’s general plan, a move required of jurisdictions every eight years. Central to the update is the state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Allocation...

Pajaro River levee project on track for summer start

Mark Strudley Pajaro Regional Flood Control Management Agency Manager
On Jan. 22, as heavy overnight rains drenched the region, Pajaro Regional Flood Control Management Agency (PRFMA)  Manager Mark Strudley got up in the middle of the night to make sure that the rivers and streams could handle the surge of water. They did, and...

Santa Cruz County Health Officer announces retirement

gail newel
Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel on Thursday announced that she will be retiring in June. Newel was appointed to the position in July 2019. During that time, she led the county through the Covid pandemic, considered to be the largest public health crisis in...

Officers participate in civil disobedience training

WATSONVILLE—Officers from six law agencies met at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Tuesday through Thursday for training in how to respond to civil disobedience. California Highway Patrol officer Dave Reed said the Mobile Field Force Disobedience course focuses on policy protocol for law enforcement officials...

Watsonville man who killed wife sentenced

Cesar Hernandez
WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man who killed his wife and left her body in a vehicle in Santa Cruz—before fleeing to Mexico where he was arrested at the border—was sentenced Oct. 28 to at least 20 years in state prison. Cesar Hernandez, 49, has been in Santa...

Cold weather shelters open in Santa Cruz County

veterans memorial building cold shelter
Santa Cruz County has opened two emergency cold shelter sites in Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Unhoused residents needing a warm place to stay for the night are welcome to stop by. The shelters are located at the Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building, 215 E. Beach St.,...

Q&A: Watsonville Taiko sensei describes Obon

Ikuyo Conant watsonville taiko
The community is invited to the Obon Festival at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple (423 Bridge St.) Sunday, July 16 from noon to 5pm. Watsonville Taiko will perform at 3pm. The event is free and open to the public.  We spoke with Ikuyo Conant, Sensei and...

Political sign drama draws attention

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...
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PVUSD trustees approve new superintendent contract

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved a three-year contract for its new superintendent. Heather Contreras’ contract shows her...