Local News

The city of Watsonville has selected Brian Shab as its next police chief, city officials announced Tuesday. Shab, who has more than 27 years of public safety experience, is currently an assistant chief with the San Jose Police Department, where he oversees departmentwide operations serving...

Every year,  lawmakers in Sacramento introduce a flurry of bills, most of which are eviscerated during the legislative process and end up on the Assembly or Senate trash heap. A select few make it to the governor’s desk, and assuming they dodge the veto...

Downtown Watsonville has always boasted strong multicultural roots and a rich community of artists, small businesses and residents that care deeply about their community. Now, the state of California does, too. The California Arts Council has named downtown Watsonville one of the state’s newest officially designated...

Members of the local 45-year-old dance company Esperanza del Valle treat the public to the annual La Rama parade in downtown Watsonville Dec. 19. Joined by members of Estrellas de Esperanza, the dancers brought traditional attire and dances to the streets around the weekly...

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District voted Monday night, during a specially scheduled meeting, to cut roughly 80 teacher positions. The reductions include 30 elementary multiple-subject teaching positions, 10 middle school core teaching positions, and counseling staff. Additional cuts to single-subject teachers include five in...

Dozens of families lined up along Salinas Road in Pajaro Monday morning, children’s faces peering from backseat windows, as they waited their turn for Santa Claus to hand them their Christmas gifts. But the presents were not the only thing the visitors received. The drive through...

Joe Price, who works as a Housing Navigator with Housing Matters, said that when he met Betty Scott, he was impressed with her willingness to help and offer a prayer for anyone who came in to the homeless shelter in which she worked. “If it...

Watsonville Fire Chief Rudy López has announced his retirement after 35 years of service to the community. His retirement will be effective Dec. 31.  López began his career in 1990 as a reserve Watsonville firefighter, and advanced through the ranks, serving as firefighter, captain and...

The City of Watsonville, in partnership with Santa Cruz METRO and MidPen Housing, has been awarded a $39 million state grant to help build a new affordable housing and transit-centered development in downtown Watsonville. The funding, awarded through the state’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities...