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Watsonville
May 9, 2025

New law requires food waste reduction

By TARA FATEMI WALKER SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) and its network of more than 70 partner agencies, including nonprofits such as food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters, work hard to combat food insecurity.  But because of new requirements mandated by Senate Bill 1383,...

Watsonville High Hall of Fame inductees honored for 2023

Wildcatz logo
The Watsonville High School Foundation on May 12 honored this year’s inductees into the school’s Hall of Fame. The awards ceremony was launched in 1986 as a way to showcase the achievements of Wildcatz alumni. This year’s honorees are Charles Johnston, who graduated in 1961, and...

13-year-old stopped with gun in Watsonville

watsonville police drug gun bust
A traffic stop on a driver who ran a red light Monday ended with Watsonville Police arresting four people, and seizing a loaded gun from a 13-year-old, 92 grams of cocaine and nearly 20 grams of marijuana. Michelle Pulido, spokeswoman for Watsonville Police, said the...

Plane crashes during landing approach in Watsonville

watsonville municipal airport plane crash
WATSONVILLE—A woman survived a solo-plane crash at Watsonville Municipal Airport Sunday afternoon after reportedly smashing into power lines and a utility pole upon approach to the runway just before 3pm. Cal Fire Capt. Bryan Whitaker said the pilot appeared to have suffered minor to moderate...

Census: Homeless population declines, except in Watsonville

Santa Cruz County Housing for Health
A census of Santa Cruz County’s homeless population taken in February shows a 21.5% decline since the last count in 2021. Still, one in every 146 Santa Cruz County residents still do not have access to housing, according to the 2023 Homeless Count and Survey,...

Workers celebrate Labor Day bill signing

WATSONVILLE—Labor, fair wages, equality at the workplace and health care for workers came into sharp focus Monday—Labor Day—for the annual Labor Day Picnic at Romo Park in downtown Watsonville. The event is put on by the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, which consists of...

Mastering the perfect slice of ‘za

A lot comes to mind in the art of mastering the perfect slice of pizza. For starters, portions are important because nobody wants to have too much sauce or too much cheese below a mountain full of toppings that prevents the dough from fully baking.  Slice...

Storm expected to bring rain, wind

An atmospheric river storm bearing down on the Bay Area could bring 2-3 inches of rain, with four inches expected in the mountains.

‘Failure was not an option:’ Ceremony rings in new hospital ownership

Watsonville Community Hospital
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Community Hospital has been up and running under its new leadership—the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District (PVHD)—since Sept. 1. It has been business as usual since then. On Monday, however, a group of state and local elected officials, along with the PVHD board and a sizable...

Murals on the move: New artwork installed on City Hall building

moveable murals watsonville city hall
A new phase of the ongoing Moveable Murals project, at the City Hall building, 250 Main St., went up on the exterior walls Tuesday.  Seven murals, ranging in size from 4-by-8-feet to 8-by-20-feet, were installed to showcase the artwork of Watsonville and Aptos High School...
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Queer Youth Leadership Awards set for Saturday

It has been almost three decades since local organizers launched the Queer Youth Leadership Awards, an event created to highlight young people whose work...