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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—As people venture out for the Christmas holiday, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is preparing for a busy travel weekend in Santa Cruz  County.   The CHP will kick off a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) beginning at 6:01pm today and will continue through 11:59pm Monday.   During...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Watsonville and Santa Cruz County officials on Thursday lifted the evacuation orders and flood warnings issued during the dual atmospheric river storms that came on Dec. 30 and Jan. 4, allowing residents to return home and breathe a sigh of relief that...

WATSONVILLE—Police have arrested a man suspected of starting a fire in St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish that caused $100,000 in damage. Alberto Melgoza, 36, is also suspected of setting a fire at Ave Maria Memorial Chapel in June, Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said. Melgoza was arrested...

Watsonville Police set up on the bridge between Watsonville and Pajaro Monday night where they investigated a body found beneath the bridge. Michelle Pulido, spokeswoman for Watsonville Police, said police found a deceased man, age 25-30, sometime after 8pm. No further information has been...

An estimated 100-foot-wide breach in the Pajaro River Levee has sent floodwaters into the community of Pajaro, forcing the evacuation of roughly 1,700 residents and causing untold damage to the homes, businesses and farm fields in the rural, agricultural community. On Friday crews were working...

WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County has issued a flood advisory for three evacuation zones along Corralitos and Salsipuedes creeks. The Pajaro River is not at risk of flooding, County officials say. The warning is in effect for zone PAJ-E026, which is north of Wagner Avenue, south of...

The Circus has come to town, this time at Ramsay Park on Main Street in Watsonville.  Circus Royal Spectacular—out of Las Vegas—rolled into town Tuesday, and crews quickly began driving giant tent stakes into the softball diamond  to set up their mammoth bigtop tent. Circus spokesperson...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—El Sistema Santa Cruz/Pajaro Valley, a nonprofit aiming to bring music education and performance to students, has been selected as a finalist for a prestigious national award. The Lewis Prize for Music announced 10 finalists for its fourth annual Accelerator Awards last week....

As summer wanes and the school year approaches, hundreds of families gathered in Watsonville Plaza Saturday to receive free new backpacks filled with school supplies. In hosting its annual backpack giveaway, the Salvation Army Watsonville Corps joined with the Red Cross, Community Action Board of...

Watsonville Public Library is currently showing an exhibit of archived photographs of community murals throughout the city's history. The display was put together by Marisol Medina-Cadena with the help of local organizations and educational institutions. To view the accompanying digital archive, visit bit.ly/3CTF0Va.