Planners OK drive-thru Starbucks on Freedom Boulevard
During the pandemic, a white-haired man pulled up to Taqueria Mi Tierra 2 on Freedom Boulevard and began to honk his horn, believing that a carhop would come out to take his order.
The man was remembering the days when the building was still the...
Board Chair and Manager leaving Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds
WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Board Chair Don Dietrich has resigned his post, and interim Fairgrounds Manager Kelley Ferreira has announced his departure, Board Director Nick Calubaquib confirmed Monday.
Dietrich, who made the announcement to his fellow board members last week, did not return a call...
Officials hope to expedite plans to repair Pajaro levee
PAJARO—Work crews have temporarily plugged a breach in the Pajaro River levee that allowed torrents of water to flood the tiny town of Pajaro and surrounding farmland on March 11, and officials in Monterey County are now banking on a law that allows the...
Monterey DA: Pajaro shooting was likely self-defense
The 47-year-old man suspected of killing two people and injuring others early in the morning on Nov. 21 at a Pajaro bar was possibly acting in self-defense and may not face murder charges, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.
Sergio Ramos Carranza turned...
PHOTO: Pickup flips into Watsonville ag field
Emergency officials deal with a solo-vehicle crash Friday on Carlton Road, east of Watsonville. The California Highway Patrol said the male driver of the Toyota Tundra was not injured when he lost control while traveling south on Carlton Road at Coward Road at about...
Briefs: Two events set for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Two events set for MLK Day
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People of Santa Cruz County Branch will honor and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Youth Day on Jan. 13 and the MLK March for the Dream...
Study details rise of mental health crises
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Between June 1 and Aug. 15, law enforcement officers throughout Santa Cruz County responded to 577 calls involving mental health crises, according to a report released Dec. 14 by the Criminal Justice Council of Santa Cruz County (CJC).
The report delves into the...
Work underway to strengthen levees and prepare for winter rains
Next year, work crews will kick off a $400 million project to rebuild the levees in South Santa Cruz and North Monterey counties and keep the rivers and creeks from escaping and devastating the surrounding communities.
That long-anticipated work will be a relief to the...
A life, preserved: In memory of famed local taxidermist Richard Gurnee
Watsonville native Richard Gurnee, who revolutionized the field of scientific taxidermy by pioneering a freeze-drying technique still employed worldwide, died in October after a brief illness. He was 87.
Gurnee graduated from Watsonville High School in 1954, and then studied zoology at Humboldt State University.
But...
Gray hired as Watsonville Community Hospital CEO
Stephen Gray was officially hired as CEO of Watsonville Community Hospital on Wednesday.
With a 4-1 vote, the Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board approved Gray’s contract, less than a week after the hospital corporation announced him as its selection. Board member Joe Gallagher dissented.
Hospital...
Community invited to National Night Out
The public is invited to National Night Out, a series of gatherings held in communities throughout Santa Cruz County on Aug. 5 from 3-7pm.
National...
