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Watsonville
January 23, 2026

Ex-Driscoll’s exec sentenced to 2 years in prison for embezzlement

SAN JOSE—A former executive at an international Watsonville berry giant was sentenced Thursday to more than two years in federal prison for embezzlement, United States Attorney David Anderson announced. Marc Marier, 42, was sentenced to 29 months in prison and ordered to pay more than...

A cafe come true

Twin sisters Jennifer DeVault and Erika Conrad made their dreams a reality earlier this year when they bought Cafe Ella from founder and previous owner Ella King.

Groundwork moves ahead for new warehouse

manabe ow golden brand reyes holdings warehouse construction
Work continues on the new massive beer and restaurant supply warehouse just off of Highway 1 (between Riverside Drive and Green Valley Road) on the Manabe-Ow property in Watsonville. Approved by the Watsonville City Council in March, the 155,847-square-foot, two-story industrial warehouse is still in...

Watsonville charter school moving into Gottschalks building

Watsonville prep Gottschalks building
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s newest charter school now has a permanent home, and a long-vacant building on the Main Street corridor will soon have a new tenant. Watsonville Prep School, which opened in August with 180 kindergarteners, first- and second-grade students, plans to occupy the second floor of...

New Spectrum store opens in Watsonville

WATSONVILLE—Spectrum has opened its first store in Watsonville, featuring the latest devices and accessories for Spectrum Mobile. Spectrum is a suite of communications services offered by Charter Communications, Inc., a broadband connectivity company and cable operator serving more than 32 million customers in 41 states.  “Our...

County still weeks away from opening restaurants for dine-in service

santa cruz county business covid-19
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Though some rural counties are allowing restaurants to open for dine-in service, Santa Cruz County officials are still several days away from giving their restaurateurs the green light. That’s according to county spokesman Jason Hoppin, who on Tuesday said testing and contact tracing...

Downtown apartment complex seeks Planning Commission approval

the residence at 558 Main Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Planning Commission at its Monday meeting will look over plans for a proposed mixed-use apartment complex in downtown. A project from local developers Bill and Neva Hansen, The Residence at 558 Main is a proposed four-story, 50-unit apartment building that, if approved, will...

Two dispensaries receive Planning Commission approval

cannabis Watsonville city council taxes
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville will soon see its first cannabis dispensaries set up shop after two businesses received planning commission approval at Tuesday night’s virtual meeting. Berryessa Holdings, LLC and Charlie Mike, Inc. both got the green light by a unanimous vote. The former will serve customers at...

Creative masks still a hot item

Watsonville masks covid-19
WATSONVILLE—Battling the pandemic for nearly a year now has spurned a wealth of creative avenues to keep Covid-19 at bay. From crafty outdoor dining patios, equipped with heaters, sun umbrellas and all kinds of tents and landscaping, to attention-getting homemade signage, face shields and...

New business space in East Fifth Plaza

The East Fifth Plaza has undergone a major renovation.
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Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23–29

Passenger rail price estimates too high One can never convince  me that restoring the Santa Cruz Branch rail line for passenger rail would cost an...

Alliances in turmoil

Boys To Men