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Watsonville
February 18, 2026

Child dies crossing Highway 101 in Prunedale

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PRUNEDALE—A 7-year-old girl was killed April 7 when she was struck by a car on Highway 101 near Prunedale. California Highway Patrol officer Jessica Madueño said the girl was apparently trying to cross the highway just before 11pm when she stepped into the path of...

Royal Oaks animal sanctuary reeling from floods

ROYAL OAKS—For seven years, Little Hill Sanctuary (LHS) in Royal Oaks has been rescuing animals from abuse, neglect and slaughter, while teaching the public about animal agriculture and plant-based living. The nonprofit shelter, nestled on a steep hill off of Maher Road, is home...

Santa Cruz County supervisors approve emergency declaration for storm damages

capitola village high surf flooding
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved an emergency declaration for the damages sustained in the storm surges on Dec. 28 and 30. County officials estimate that the waves, which inundated Capitola Village, slammed Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf and wreaked havoc...

Suspected Watsonville shooter surrenders

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The suspected shooter accused of killing a 23-year-old man Aug. 4 turned himself in Wednesday. Officers took the 17-year-old suspect into custody at Watsonville Police Department at 9pm, police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said.  On Aug. 4, officers responded to the 800 block of McKenzie Avenue, near...

Latest storm prompts evacuation warnings in Watsonville, Pajaro

cloudy skies storm watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County officials late Wednesday warned residents to be prepared for a high possibility of flooding, as the Watsonville Police Department issued evacuation warnings for the neighborhoods west of Corralitos Creek, the same areas that flooded during the series of storms that hit...

Gazing skyward to the eclipse

Thousands of people across Santa Cruz County—and millions more throughout the U.S.—took a pause late Monday morning to look to the skies for a phenomenon that will not happen again for two decades. Californians saw only 30% of the sun being blotted out by the...

Watsonville Film Festival returns for 11th year

Los Tigres del Norte watsonville film festival
WATSONVILLE—The 11th Annual Watsonville Film Festival rolls out the red carpet March 3-12.   Co-Founder and Director Consuelo Alba said the festival will have screenings at the Mello Center and the Watsonville Public Library as well as online viewing opportunities.  “This year’s Festival presents an exciting line-up...

Food scrap composting program diverting tons from landfill

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Since it began in January, Santa Cruz County’s composting program has diverted nearly 50,000 tons of food scraps from the Buena Vista Landfill, vastly reducing the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere and reshaping the way residents view their trash. That...

PVUSD Board set to appoint new member

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WATSONVILLE—Four people have applied to fill the seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees left vacant when Maria Orozco was elected to the Watsonville City Council. On Saturday morning, the Board will convene in a public meeting at the District headquarters...

Update on homelessness shows mixed results from county efforts

Santa Cruz County Housing for Health
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County has reduced homelessness among families by 59% compared to 2019, even as overall homelessness in the county increased by 6%.  That’s according to preliminary results of the county’s biannual Point-In-Time (PIT) count released Aug. 5 by the Housing for Health...
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LEVEE MONEY The Pajaro River meanders through a course of trees and brush near downtown Watsonville.

Padilla, Schiff secure $54M for Pajaro River Levee

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla announced Tuesday that he and Sen. Adam Schiff secured $54 million in federal funding for the Pajaro River Flood Risk...