Central Coast water agencies grapple with storm impacts
PAJARO—Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services District, the agency that provides water to the Pajaro area, has lifted a do-not-drink order that came in the wake of the March 11 flood.
The April 7 decision came nearly a month after the Pajaro River levee broke and released...
Schools grappling with declining enrollment, absenteeism
As students across the state prepare to return to the classroom from their summer break, school districts are faced with a vexing problem: declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism—both of which have been growing every year—are combining to take a bite out of annual revenues,...
Barbara Lee visits Watsonville on Senate campaign trail
Congresswoman Barbara Lee visited Watsonville Monday evening as part of her campaign to gain the seat of outgoing U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
After an introduction by Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, Lee took to the podium at Jalisco’s restaurant where more than 100 people welcomed her.
Representing California’s...
Community, lawmakers celebrate “monumental achievement” during groundbreaking ceremony
After decades of floods that devastated the communities of Pajaro and Watsonville—and flooded hundreds of acres of farmland—a group of local, state and federal lawmakers gathered near the banks of Corralitos Creek Wednesday to break ground on the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project,...
Homeless population assists flood recovery in Watsonville, Pajaro
WATSONVILLE—As the waters recede from the recent floods that ravaged South Santa Cruz and North Monterey counties, residents have been returning to their homes and starting to clear the debris that overtook their dwellings.
In Watsonville, homeowners are getting help from members of the community...
Supervisors signal support for tenant protection rules
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—One woman lost her job and couldn’t pay rent, and then found herself in a battle with her landlord, who didn’t believe her story and threatened eviction.
A family financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic found themselves battling a landlord who raised their...
PHOTO: Knights of Columbus donates to Hope Services
Fred Martinez, on behalf of the Knights of Columbus Council 11804 in Watsonville, passes a check for $1,422.65 to Mauna Loa Morris, program manager of Hope Services, last week. Hope Services serves children and adults with developmental disabilities. The Knights of Columbus’ 15,900 councils...
PHOTO: Watsonville High’s homecoming parade
Antique fire engines are just a fraction of Watsonville High School's homecoming parade Wednesday afternoon that rolled along Main Street. The Wildcatz will take on Seaside Friday at their homecoming game.
Labor Day gathering returns to downtown Watsonville
Live music, information tables, food and speeches was the tune of the day in Romo Park in downtown Watsonville at the annual Labor Day gathering Monday.
Put on by the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, the event showcased the essence of Labor Day—to pay tribute...
Santa Cruz County Supervisors approve equity statement
In the minutes before the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously on Tuesday approved an equity statement and a series of steps to achieve it, Elaine Johnson, president of Santa Cruz County’s NAACP branch, described an experience five years ago that she says...
Man arrested in levee death
Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies on Friday arrested a Pajaro man for the murder of Watsonville resident Jesús Alfonso Duarte Figueroa, whose body was found...