Markets prep for Thanksgiving orders
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—As Thanksgiving edges closer, the folks at Corralitos Market & Sausage Co. and Freedom Meat Lockers say now is the time to get orders dialed in.
“I’ve been at this since April, getting ready and dealing with supply, price changes and everything else,”...
Watsonville honors outgoing council, swears in new members
WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville bade goodbye to three outgoing members on Tuesday, two of them longtime leaders with decades of combined experience between them.
Lowell Hurst and Rebecca Garcia served for years on the council, including stints as mayor. Francisco “Paco” Estrada was elected in...
Store hands out 8,200 pounds of chicken to Second Harvest
WATSONVILLE—Second Harvest Food Bank’s efforts to aid Pajaro flood victims received a boost Wednesday when Staff of Life Natural Foods and Smart Chicken donated more than four tons of chicken.
With the Smart Giving Program, Staff of Life Natural Foods and Smart Chicken donated over...
Carrillo sentenced to life in prison without parole
SANTA CRUZ—The man who slaughtered Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller during a violent crime spree two years ago was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Steven Carrillo, 34, also received prison time for attempting to kill four other...
Watsonville man who killed wife sentenced
WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man who killed his wife and left her body in a vehicle in Santa Cruz—before fleeing to Mexico where he was arrested at the border—was sentenced Oct. 28 to at least 20 years in state prison.
Cesar Hernandez, 49, has been in Santa...
Powerful winds topple trees and power lines, prompt tornado warning
Winds were so strong Saturday night that meteorologists issued a tornado warning on the Central Coast including for Elkhorn and Prunedale, as well as areas around Aptos and Watsonville.
Just after 8pm, some residents reported seeing a “funnel cloud” touch down on the 700 block...
PV Arts highlights work by Juan Fuentes
WATSONVILLE—The art of Juan R. Fuentes, a Watsonville High graduate, is the feature of the latest Pajaro Valley Arts exhibit, “Resilience: Works of Strength and Dignity 2023.”
The body of over 50 works in woodcut, linocut, linocut/screenprint and screenprint—plus more than two dozen posters—spans Fuentes’...
Brazen armed burglary at Watsonville pot dispensary
In the wake of a May 25 burglary at his Watsonville cannabis dispensary, Bryce Berryessa installed several new features designed to deter similar crimes from occurring again.
According to Watsonville Police Department, 12 armed suspects used an SUV to ram and break open the dispensary’s...
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk plans new Ferris wheel
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk plans on bringing back an iconic attraction, but it first must seek approval from the city’s planning commission.
Five years after the park removed its Ferris wheel due to age, plans are in the works to construct a new, 68-foot...
One dead, houses damaged in windstorm
A man was killed in Boulder Creek after a tree crashed into his home, as winds pounded Santa Cruz County after several heavy rainstorms on Sunday.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's spokeswoman Ashley Keehn identified the man as as 45-year-old Robert Brainard III.
Deputies and firefighters responded...
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...
