Sheriff’s Office: man set occupied house ablaze
SANTA CRUZ—A Santa Cruz man was arrested Saturday after allegedly setting a house on fire while people were still inside.
Ryan Lee Brand, 45, was charged with attempted murder and arson. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail, jail...
PVWMA seeking volunteers for groundwater committee
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency is looking for volunteers to be part of a newly conceived committee focused on groundwater sustainability in the Pajaro Valley.
The 17-member Sustainable Groundwater Committee which will meet up to 10 times through fall 2021, will focus on updating PV...
Deputies make arrest in connection to pipe bomb found in Boulder Creek
SCOTTS VALLEY—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office arrested a 34-year-old Boulder Creek resident in connection to explosive devices found earlier this week while responding to the CZU August Lightning Complex fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
SCCSO Chief Deputy Chris Clark in a Saturday evening...
Central Coast, Bay Area fires have leveled more than 1,000 structures
Four major fires throughout the Central Coast and greater Bay Area have destroyed at least 1,055 structures, various Cal Fire agencies announced Saturday morning.
The SCU Lightning Complex, the River Fire, the Carmel Fire and the CZU August Lightning Complex have chewed through 513,305 acres...
Staff of Life delays opening of Watsonville location until 2021
WATSONVILLE—Staff of Life has delayed the opening of its Watsonville location until next year, according to spokeswoman Hollie Wendt.
The Santa Cruz-based natural foods store was set to open its second location in the East Lake Village Shopping Center sometime in the fall.
“After much discussion...
Large housing development receives 2-year extension
WATSONVILLE—A 150-unit housing development off Ohlone Parkway received a two-year extension from the Watsonville City Council at Tuesday’s meeting.
The extension gives developer Lisa Li and new project manager John Fry some time to fix multiple issues that have arisen since it first received approval...
Covid-19, fires taxing service providers
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The CZU August Lightning Complex fires have so far destroyed more than 500 homes and forced 77,000 people to evacuate from their community. Those people have flooded evacuation centers throughout the county.
That, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic that has upended the economy...
New Watsonville Police officer fired
WATSONVILLE—A man who was recently hired as a Watsonville Police officer—and who is facing assault and vandalism charges for a bizarre string of incidents in South Lake Tahoe on Aug. 20—is no longer employed with the City of Watsonville, Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido...
Newsom replaces watchlist with new tiered reopening system
SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday revealed what he called a new, more “stringent” four-tiered reopening system that allows counties to open their economies depending on their Covid-19 case and test positivity rates.
The new system replaces the monitoring list and removes many of the old...
Brewing up a new cafe | About Town
I walked past the former Second Street cafe on Second Street in downtown Watsonville Thursday and noticed new logo signs in the window for the Craft Bakeshop and Eatery. The folks that owned Corralitos Coffee are on the move to open the new business...
Investing in safer streets and upholding our community values
Watsonville is making meaningful investments in our streets, sidewalks, and neighborhoods this year—improvements that reflect both our infrastructure priorities and our shared commitment to...
