54.5 F
Watsonville
February 11, 2026

Food service industry faces unprecedented labor shortage

Two weeks ago, Amelia Loftus, owner of Hidden Fortress Coffee Roasting, was on the brink of closing her cafe in Watsonville just shy of its five-year anniversary. The shop, located at the end of a sleepy business complex on Hangar Way, had been struggling to...

Cooper family buys two dealerships

WATSONVILLE—The family that owns Chevrolet Watsonville has purchased two new neighboring dealerships, giving it the lion’s share of the sales on Auto Center Drive. The Cooper family closed the deal on Wednesday for Monterey Bay Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and Mid Bay Ford Lincoln. The family...

Keeping it rolling: Tips from the pros to keep your car on the road

WATSONVILLE—The U.S. is a country built on the backbone of its roadway system – a vast network of lanes, roads and freeways that connect us to home workplace, and untold adventures. But all of that travel largely depends on vehicles, which in turn rely on...

Covid-19 restrictions loosen as Santa Cruz County sees fewer cases

Watsonville coronavirus
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—California health officials on Tuesday moved Santa Cruz County into the less restrictive “Moderate” or Orange tier, meaning that several businesses can reopen and welcome in more customers. The move means that the county is seeing 1-3.9 new cases per 100,00 in population....

Four Winds Growers sees uptick in sales during pandemic

Four Winds Growers, a fourth-generation, family-run business in Watsonville specializing in citrus trees, has seen major growth in sales since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Aaron Dillon, who runs the business with his siblings, says that the surge is likely due to people who...

Wine event reignites vacant downtown location

WATSONVILLE—The long-vacant Gottschalks building in downtown Watsonville will come to life on Oct. 17 for Uncorked in Downtown, an evening of wine, food and fun put on by Pacific Coast Development.  The event, spearhead by Neva Hansen, will feature wines from Anatum Winery, Wargin Wines,...

EcoFarm bus tour rolls through Watsonville

The 39th annual EcoFarm Conference returned to Pacific Grove this week, and with it came the annual bus tour of local organic farms.

Clean Juice opens in Rancho Del Mar center

Clean Juice is currently holding a soft opening with limited hours and will officially open Monday.

Freedom McDonald’s celebrates reopening

watsonville mcdonalds
WATSONVILLE—More than 100 people gathered in front of the newly rebuilt McDonald’s restaurant on Freedom Boulevard Tuesday for a grand reopening celebration. The business, located at 1598 Freedom Blvd., replaces the one originally built in 1974, which had remained at the same location until demolition...

K&D Landscaping honored with statewide award

WATSONVILLE—The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) recently presented various awards to K&D Landscaping, Inc., a Central Coast landscape contractor, during its annual convention.   “The awards represent peak excellence within the landscaping industry and aim to shine a light on the talent and hard work...
7,695FansLike
4,949FollowersFollow
2,895FollowersFollow

Cabrillo football coach Justin Hansen to take leave of absence

Cabrillo College announced Monday that head football coach Justin Hansen will take a formal family medical leave of absence effective immediately. Hansen is expected to...