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Watsonville
February 16, 2026

Capitola Ave. Bridge opens after 2-year rebuild

The new Capitola Avenue overcrossing at Highway 1 opened to the public last week after a two-year closure.  The heavily-used corridor for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians between Soquel and Capitola villages is the first completed component of the Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes and Bus-on-Shoulder Project...

Jim Barsi—owner of Barsi’s Liquor Store—dies

Jim Barsi talks about the sale of Barsi's Liquor Store in 2019.
James Joseph “Jim” Barsi, who ran his eponymous liquor store on East Lake Avenue for a half-century before selling the business and retiring in 2019, died on Jan. 26. He was 83.  Eddie Casillas said he began working for Barsi when he was 16, and...

Watsonville Airport prepares for Super Bowl arrivals

Dave Paz, general manager at S. Matinelli and Co.. assembles a sampling of beverage products Monday to add to the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture’s red-carpet Super Bowl welcome party at the Watsonville Municipal Airport this week.
Though Super Bowl 60 will take place Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Watsonville will roll out its own red carpet at Watsonville Municipal Airport this week.  Shaz Roth, CEO of the  Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, said preparations are under way to welcome...

Watsonville Plaza project moves ahead

A crew from Community Tree Service removed several large trees and trimmed back several others Monday and Tuesday at Watsonville Plaza as part of phase 1 of the ongoing Plaza Revitalization Project.  Bob Berry of Watsonville Public Works and Utilities, said the removal of some...

Elias Gonzales to challenge Hernandez for supervisor seat

Lifelong Watsonville resident and community advocate Elias Gonzalez announced Monday that he is running for 4th District supervisor. He is up against incumbent Felipe Hernandez, who has served on the board of supervisors since 2022. Gonzalez has a long career history in community organizing, working...

County officials vow to oppose immigration officials

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark told reporters Thursday that local law enforcement will not cooperate with federal officials if they come to the Central Coast as part of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policy. Clark spoke at a press conference led by Rep. Jimmy...

Supervisors greenlight SHIELD to protect immigrants

Santa Cruz County’s immigrant community got a measure of protection Tuesday after the Board of Supervisors approved an ad hoc subcommittee that will address potential impacts from federal immigration enforcement.  The two-member group, known as SHIELD—short for Safeguarding Health, Inclusion, Essential Services, and Local Defense—will be...

Santa Cruz, Monterey counties to test wireless emergency system Thursday

Officials in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties will conduct a test of the Wireless Emergency Alert system on Thursday, sending emergency messages to mobile phones in flood inundation zones near the Pajaro River. The test is scheduled for about 3pm and is part of ongoing...

Boys To Men

On Jan. 28, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and Monarch Services will co-present the film “The Mask You Live In,” a documentary film that explores how boys and young men navigate a society that often demands an unrealistic ideal of masculinity. The screening...

Meals on Wheels to celebrate 50th anniversary

Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County will mark its 50th anniversary this year, and organizers are selling tickets for a Feb. 13 fundraising luncheon they say is increasingly critical as demand grows and funding pressures mount. The 13th annual Food From the Heart Luncheon...
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Body identified as missing woman

A woman’s body recovered on Jan. 18 in the area of Smith Grade and Moore Ranch Road has been identified as 73-year-old Jeanne Burke,...