Local News

Members of the Watsonville Community Band deliver a few tunes for Don Spence in front of his Watsonville home Wednesday evening. Spence, 93, is their oldest musician and is recuperating from medical procedures. A clarinetist in the band, he marched his final parade last...

When the news broke in March that civil rights leader Cesar Chavez allegedly sexually assaulted multiple women and girls, it sparked a nationwide reckoning as school, city and county officials grappled with streets, buildings, holidays, awards and other institutions that bore his name. Civil rights...

Members of Indivisible Pajaro Valley stage their Signs of Fascism protest on Main Street in Watsonville on June 16. The one-hour event drew over 20 people who waved signs in Spanish and English depicting what they say are key elements of fascism to passing...

Juneteenth celebrations of Black liberation and freedom spread out around the country over the weekend, including Monterey, Seaside and Santa Cruz.  Now in its 35th year, the six-hour event in Santa Cruz started with a march from City Hall in downtown Santa Cruz and ended...

Several hundred protesters marched in Gilroy on June 13 to voice their disapproval of a federal plan to build an immigration detention facility on agricultural land just outside Gilroy city limits. Community organizers and residents gathered at Arroyo Circle near Gilman Road at Highway 101...

The completion of phase one of the historic restoration of the Porter Vallejo Mansion and Public Library branch was celebrated June 12 in Pajaro, a major chapter in the town’s ongoing recovery from the March, 2023 flood.  The extensive renovation work was recognized as Project...

Woody’s at the Airport celebrated its grand opening Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Watsonville Municipal Airport, marking the arrival of a restaurant that aims to pair locally sourced ingredients with a community-centered approach.  Although the restaurant has already opened its doors, owner Tim Wood...

Election results posted Tuesday show that Tony Nuñez has maintained his sizable lead in the race for the District 4 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Nuñez has received 3,930 votes, or 50.1% of the total, while incumbent Felipe Hernandez has received...

Two people died in a two-car crash Sunday night at the intersection of East Lake Avenue and Casserly Road.  California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said the crash happened around 8:45pm between a white Infiniti sedan and a gray Toyota sedan. According to Murillo, a 19-year-old...

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday in Watsonville, Encompass Community Services celebrated the opening of a new Si Se Puede behavioral health campus on Miles Lane, an $18 million investment aimed at expanding addiction treatment and recovery services in South Santa Cruz County. The project includes...