Covid-related deaths at Watsonville nursing home reach 15
WATSONVILLE—Gerald Hunter, the former director of Watsonville Post Acute Center, announced on Oct. 19 that he has stepped down from the position.
On the facility’s website, Hunter stated that Rae Ann Radford has taken the job. The announcement did not give a reason for the...
PVUSD officially delays return to class
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District students will wait at least two extra months to return to their classrooms, the district’s trustees unanimously voted Wednesday.
The district was planning to begin a hybrid version of in-person learning starting in January, but a recent surge of Covid-19,...
Covid relief bill stalls as Trump demands more
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congress on Monday approved a $900 billion, 5,000-page federal package that could be a boon to California, which like all other states is struggling under the weight of an economy wracked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
If signed by President Donald Trump, it will provides...
Sheriff’s office: we will enforce updated shelter-in-place order
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—One day after Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel announced she was closing parks, beaches and open spaces countywide starting Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. to combat the spread of coronavirus, Sheriff Jim Hart said that law enforcement personnel will start...
METRO pledges to improve safety
SANTA CRUZ—In an effort to meet public transit safety standards set during the Covid-19 pandemic, officials at Santa Cruz METRO at a Wednesday press conference showcased the safety and precautionary measures they have put in place.
Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold and METRO Board...
City postpones levee clean-up after homeless advocates raise concerns
WATSONVILLE—Scheduled clean-ups of the Pajaro River Levee have been postponed indefinitely after homeless advocates raised concerns about displacing people living there, according to Watsonville City Manager Matt Huffaker.
Huffaker said a regularly scheduled clean-up of the levee was set for Tuesday and Wednesday. That was...
Watsonville City Council halts evictions for residents impacted by COVID-19
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville renters that have been under increased financial pressure during the COVID-19 outbreak received some good news Monday.
The City Council by a 5-2 vote approved a temporary moratorium on evictions for tenants—both residential and commercial—affected by the fallout of the global coronavirus pandemic.
The emergency...
School districts brace for looming budget cuts
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Gov. Gavin Newsom on May 14 released an updated state budget that calls for a 10 percent cut to school districts across the state.
Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez said that the district is looking at a $19.18 million slash.
Watsonville/Aptos/Santa...
Staff of Life closes for cleaning after employee contracts Covid-19
SANTA CRUZ—Staff of Life, a popular natural foods market in Santa Cruz for more than 50 years, announced Monday that an employee tested positive for Covid-19.
“We have made the decision to temporarily close after learning a member of our staff has been diagnosed with...
Large donation brings Food Bank closer to goal
APTOS—Two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday rolled around, Twin Lakes Church Pastor Rene Schlaepfer and Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) CEO Willy Elliott McCrea were worried.
The church’s annual food drive, which typically raises thousands of dollars for the food bank’s holiday, was falling short,...
County observes MLK Day
A large bronze sculpture of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stands in the quad of Cabrillo College in Aptos.
Today is Martin Luther King...
