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Watsonville
May 9, 2025

CHP target impaired drivers for New Year’s weekend

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The California Highway Patrol will ratchet up its roadway vigilance over the New Year’s weekend by conducting a Maximum Enforcement Period from 6:01pm Dec. 30 through 11:59pm Jan. 2. During that time, all available CHP officers will be out on patrol with...

Criminal justice, healthcare and more among new laws for ’23

With a flurry of new laws ready to take effect, the Pajaronian took a look at a handful of the more notable ones, which take on several aspects of criminal justice, health services and firearms.  WALKING A FINE LINE Before Assembly Bill 2147 was signed into...

State seized enough fentanyl to potentially kill North America, twice

CALIFORNIA—In 2022, authorities in California say they seized 28,765 pounds of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.  The Department of Drug Enforcement said it is enough to kill hundreds of millions of...

Off the beat: Watsonville Police Capt. Tony Magdayao retires

Note: Reporter Tarmo Hannula contributed to this story WATSONVILLE—After nearly three decades with the Watsonville Police Department, Capt. Tony Magdayao has dipped his toes into the quiet waters of retirement. Magdayao was 30 when he joined the department, closing a career that began when he was...

A profile in public service: Lowell Hurst

By DREW ROGERS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PAJARONIAN Purely by happenstance after moving here in 2018, I met Lowell Hurst during his last month as Watsonville’s mayor (his third stint). Affable with a booming, cheery voice landing truth bombs and jokes equally, his Midwest openness and disdain...

El Sistema awarded $50,000 by the Lewis Prize for Music

el sistema watsonville
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—El Sistema Santa Cruz/Pajaro Valley has been awarded $50,000 by the Lewis Prize for Music, which will help further the nonprofit’s work in bringing music education to local students. El Sistema was named one of 10 finalists for the Lewis Prize for Music’s...

Photo: CHP hosts annual Adopt-a-Family program

California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murrillo (left), on behalf of the Santa Cruz area CHP, presents a hefty load of Christmas gifts to Selena Frutos and her kids, Julie Rodriguez, 5, Jade Duarte, 2, and Joseph Valencia, 10, as CHP officer Sam Courtney (rear)...

CHP Maximum Enforcement Period begins tonight

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—As people venture out for the Christmas holiday, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is preparing for a busy travel weekend in Santa Cruz  County.   The CHP will kick off a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) beginning at 6:01pm today and will continue through 11:59pm Monday.   During...

Supervisors strengthen protections for mobile home parks

Pinto Lake Mobile Estates
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 14 unanimously approved a new ordinance meant to add affordability protections for people who live in mobile home parks, and to help mediate when tenants dispute rent increases. The new ordinance ties future rent...

Memorial honors those who died while homeless

By Aiyana Moya SANTA CRUZ—A soft chorus of voices, coming from the Santa Cruz Threshold Singers, welcomes guests as they walk into the Santa Cruz County Vets building Dec. 21 where the annual Homeless Memorial is taking place.  This year marks the first year since the...
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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...