Local mechanic receives national award
                    
WATSONVILLE—Chevrolet of Watsonville took a giant step up in the world of auto mechanics last week as one of their mechanics, Richard Shephard, was awarded a World Class Technician status award by officials from General Motors and Chevrolet.
“There’s a lot of time, a lot...                
                
            A blaze of glory: longtime fire reservist dies
                    
John R. Walker Jr., a major fixture in Watsonville’s landscape of firefighting, parades and labor task force, died Jan. 27 of pancreatic cancer. He was 84.
Walker  served as a Watsonville Reserve Firefighter for three decades, and left that post as Reserve Lt. Co. No....                
                
            Watsonville native runs for mayor of San Jose
                    
SAN JOSE—Watsonville native Matt Mahan is on the ballot in San Jose and could become the mayor of Northern California’s largest city if voters select him in the two-way race.
The mayoral candidate grew up on the outskirts of Watsonville in the 1980s and ’90s,...                
                
            Cabrillo College receives $3M grant
                    
Cabrillo College announced Oct. 10 that it is the recipient of a five-year, $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE).
The Abriendo El Camino: Connecting & Supporting High School Students into Structured College & Career Pathways grant aims to strengthen career...                
                
            Photos: Main Street bridge closed due to flooding concerns
                    
Monterey County Public Works officials close down the Main Street bridge from Watsonville into Pajaro above the Pajaro River Wednesday morning as the possibility of the river breaching rises. Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo said that though Pajaro has been under mandatory evacuation orders,...                
                
            Late faculty member leaves $2.5M to Cabrillo College
                    
APTOS—The Cabrillo College Foundation received the largest estate gift in its history from the late Tom Sourisseau, a former faculty member who died at the end of 2021. 
The Anatomy instructor left $2.5 million in his estate plans that will support biology scholarships and faculty...                
                
            Watsonville homicide victim was striving to ‘clean up’ life, mother says
                    
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville man who was shot and killed Sunday afternoon in downtown was working to turn his life around, his mother said.
On Wednesday, at a large makeshift altar at the site of where her son died, Roxanne Ortiz said Adrian Ayala, 19, was one...                
                
            New warehouse approved for Manabe-Ow property
                    
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the construction of a two-story industrial warehouse on the Manabe-Ow property that will allow an existing beer and restaurant supply company to move to a new location.
Reyes Holdings, a national wholesaler, distributor and bottler  acquired Elixyr...                
                
            Mural completed at Cesar Chavez Middle School
                    
A new outdoor mural was unveiled at Cesar Chavez Middle School May 25, a joint effort between Watsonville artist Yermo Aranda, area students, instructors and others.
The four-panel mural, roughly 25-by-40-feet, depicts scenes from indigenous people and a multistage chronology of the life of Cesar...                
                
            Watsonville Police Department holds awards ceremony for outstanding employees
                
Dozens of law enforcement and emergency first responders gathered in the Watsonville City Council Chambers Wednesday for a promotional and award ceremony honoring Watsonville...            
            
        






















