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Watsonville
March 19, 2024

Inmates looking to new laws for sentence reductions

Two Watsonville men serving long prison terms are hoping that a series of new state laws will bring freedom sooner than originally expected. Vincent Marquez, who is serving a decades-long prison sentence for a 2008 burglary conviction, could see his sentence reduced this year due...

College Lake pipeline project shifts onto Riverside Drive

College Lake Pipeline Project
Starting Monday, construction work on the College Lake Pipeline Project in Watsonville will move onto Riverside Drive for the next six months. With around five miles of the pipeline now completed, and a mile left to go, the project will provide a 30-inch water main...

From fungus to fentanyl, new laws address variety of topics in 2024

Chanterelle mushrooms
Every year, California’s legislators send a flurry of bills to the governor in hopes he or she will sign them. And that’s before the byzantine legislative process that leaves most proposed laws on Assembly and Senate cutting floors. In 2023, the lawmakers sent off 1,046...

Watsonville Plaza redesign efforts underway

kathleen crocetti watsonville plaza sculptures
Plans are underway to install four larger-than-life sculptures in downtown Watsonville as part of an overall redesign of Watsonville Plaza.  While the historical gazebo/bandstand, designed by famed architect William Weeks, will still maintain its spot in the plaza center, ideas are being discussed to retrofit...

$2 million grant to fund youth mental health center in Watsonville

In a little more than a year, the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley will create a center where young people will be able to access a variety of mental health services. The creation of the allcove youth drop-in center is made possible by a...

Dog recovering from gunshot

oso dog
Watsonville Police are looking for the person who reportedly shot a dog on the Pajaro River levee near the Main Street Bridge Dec. 27. Officers responded to a call of shots fired shortly before 12:30am and found a dog suffering from a gunshot injury, Watsonville...

Arrest made in Capitola woman’s homicide

capitola homicide arrest
A man was arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of killing his girlfriend, Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann of Capitola. Theobald "Theo" Lengyel, 54, was found near Davenport in the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's jurisdiction after an arrest warrant was issued. He was taken into custody by...

Rare bird is big draw at Rio Del Mar beach

black-headed gull rio del mar state beach
Bird enthusiasts got a dramatic treat at the year’s end when an extremely rare black-headed gull dropped by Rio Del Mar State Beach.  While common in Asian countries and along the Eastern U.S. coast, the gull, largely white, with red legs, red bill and a...

PHOTO: Bomb washes ashore at Pajaro Dunes

military ordnance pajaro dunes
A military-grade ordnance is shown on the beach at Pajaro Dunes in Watsonville. The device washed ashore during recent heavy seas on New Year’s Eve, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said. As a precaution, the Sheriff's bomb team responded, deemed it safe, and...

High surf pummels coastal Santa Cruz County

capitola village high surf
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,...
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St. Francis’ Junior Ibarra, MVC’s Ava Johnson, Aptos’ Luke Garvey, Watsonville’s...

This week’s edition of the Pajaronian Sports Ticker highlights local prep athletes for their performances during the weeks of March 4-10 and 11-17.    Preps of...