Local News

The half-trillion-dollar loan program advertised as a lifesaver for the country’s struggling small businesses is again under fire after the Small Business Administration on Monday released a list containing hundreds of recipients of the program, revealing that several private equity-backed chains owned...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Chief of Police David Honda will give a presentation on "community oversight and engagement" to the City Council at today's virtual meeting. The meeting begins at 2pm. To participate visit https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/794248253 or call 1 (786) 535-3211 and enter...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Watsonville firefighters had a “very busy Fourth of July” as they responded to a total of 24 calls in the 24-hour period surrounding the holiday, including medical calls and fires to vegetation, dumpsters and structures. Units were also out patrolling...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police on Friday arrested a man for allegedly sexually abusing a young girl. Francisco Guzman-Marin, 66, was charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. He was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail in...

MONTEREY COUNTY—Businesses across the Pajaro River Bridge were dealt another tough blow this week, as Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday called for Monterey County restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, museums and card rooms to close their indoor operations.  Newsom...

FREEDOM—A Freedom man was arrested Saturday after a bullet he fired during a July 4 celebration ricocheted off the ground and entered a nearby residence, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said. The bullet came within inches of...

WATSONVILLE—The West Coast Ravens Fly Formation Team shot through the sky over Watsonville Saturday.  The flyover show was meant to celebrate the Fourth of July, as the city’s recurring Fire in the Sky event was canceled due to Covid-19....

WATSONVILLE—The road has been rocky this year for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, as the state went from a rosy pre-coronavirus budget surplus in January to the potential of $19 million in reductions in May. Those numbers have...

WATSONVILLE—After months of being shuttered during the countywide response to Covid-19, Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s (SCCAS) Watsonville location has opened once again. The reopening came a few days before the Fourth of July, a holiday known to cause...

WATSONVILLE—A huge program is underway in Watsonville to help keep students finely tuned and focused on education through the summer. Jen Bruno, a curriculum coach, said the Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s Extended Learning Programs (ELP) over the past...