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...
Watsonville Hospital announces new CEO
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Community Hospital has a new chief executive officer.
Steven Salyer, who has 14 years of leadership experience in hospitals throughout the U.S., started the position on July 6. The hospital announced the move on July 14.
Salyer previously served as chief operating officer at UP...
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.
Melee over food cart captures community attention
SANTA CRUZ—A recent clash between a Santa Cruz restaurant owner and a mobile hot dog vendor has drawn countywide attention, forcing one restaurant to close its doors and prompting demonstrations that have drawn hundreds of supporters.
According to Santa Cruz Police spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke, the...
Holiday planning? Order your meat now
If specialty meats will be on your table during the upcoming holidays, now is the time to get your order in at two local meat businesses, Freedom Meat Lockers and Corralitos Market & Sausage Co.
Beach Boardwalk surviving tough times
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has reshuffled its offerings in hopes of dealing with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
While all of their rides have been shuttered since March, the Boardwalk has recently started holding drive-in movie nights on the corner of Beach and Third...
Pajaro Valley Public Cemetery District running out of space
WATSONVILLE—Major work is underway at the Valley Public Cemetery to make way for hundreds of garden crypts.
The move is part of the Pajaro Valley Public Cemetery District’s needed expansion to create more land for burials, said Bob Tanner, Pajaro Valley Public Cemetery District Board...
Business growing for Creme de Canna
Creme de Canna specializes in the high-tech extraction of cannabinoid (CBD) oils — each of which have their own benefits — that can be incorporated into a variety of products for a wide range of needs.
Man arrested for agriculture-related crimes
A Prunedale man was arrested Nov. 26 on suspicion of a lengthy list of agriculture-related crimes including theft of a tractor.
On Oct. 22, deputies...




















