Missing horse freed from mud pit
PRUNEDALE—A horse that had gone missing in Prunedale for two weeks is now back home and healthy after suffering a bizarre plunge into a large mud pit.
North Monterey County Fire Division Chief Jess Mendoza said his crew got a call about a horse rescue...
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...
Watsonville homicide victim was striving to ‘clean up’ life, mother says
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville man who was shot and killed Sunday afternoon in downtown was working to turn his life around, his mother said.
On Wednesday, at a large makeshift altar at the site of where her son died, Roxanne Ortiz said Adrian Ayala, 19, was one...
Legendary Moss Landing restaurant closes
MOSS LANDING — A long line of hungry customers stretched out the door of Phil’s Fish Market and Eatery in Moss Landing Monday, the last day of the popular restaurant.
For 22 years the business has seen a steady flow of customers, many repeats, at...
Man killed in shooting
WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man was shot and killed Sunday afternoon in downtown Watsonville.
Watsonville Police Sgt. Jarrod Pisturino said the shooting took place around 11:16am between the 100 block of Brennan Street and the 100 block of Sudden Street in a large parking lot shared by...
Man arrested for drug possession and sales, including to minors
APTOS—A man was arrested Thursday in the Safeway parking lot in Aptos after he allegedly provided illegal drugs to a minor.
When Special Enforcement Detectives with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office contacted Benjamin Reynolds, he was in possession of numerous baggies of cocaine, marijuana,...
Student activism nets new dress code
WATSONVILLE—In the coming weeks, students at Watsonville High School—along with school administrators, teachers and parents—will join forces to hammer out a new dress code, a set of policies all parties hope will promote campus safety and encourage a modicum of decorum while still allowing...
Watsonville Hospital begins operations under new owner
WATSONVILLE—Thursday marked the end of an era—and the beginning of a new one—as Watsonville Community Hospital officially became a public entity, to be controlled by a local board of elected representatives.
The purchase followed a months-long fundraising campaign—the largest in Santa Cruz County history—that netted...
Watsonville Film Festival announces scholarship recipient
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) recently announced the 2022 recipient of the organization’s annual Student Scholarship.Â
Santiago Meza, who graduated from Harbor High School in Santa Cruz this year, is planning to study film at Santa Monica City College. WFF officials said they were impressed...
PVUSD Trustees approve retention bonuses, other incentives
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 24 approved a series of bonuses and supplemental payments aimed at retaining teachers and school employees.
Every teacher, school worker and administrator employed since April 1—and who plans to stay with the district through...
Innovation on display
Hundreds of young people packed the three buildings at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Saturday for the annual STEAM Expo for a chance to...