PHOTO: Celebrating Japanese culture
Members of Taiko San Francisco perform Saturday at the 29th annual Japanese Cultural Fair in Santa Cruz. The one-day event featured music and dance, a tea ceremony, ikebana (flower) and bonsai demonstrations and a kimono workshop, information tables and various Japanese goods for sale.
Pajaro River levee breaches; evacuations underway in flooded town
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 City Council to consider options for crosswind runway
On both sides of Watsonville Municipal Airport’s two runways lay so-called airport safety zones, where development is either limited or restricted.
With limited space left for the city to develop—and with mandates for new housing from the State of California—those safety zones will be at...
Pajaro to get $20 million in state budget
A state budget approved Monday by California legislators will, among other things, bring $20 million to the town of Pajaro to help residents recover from the flooding that inundated the area in March.
The funds are available to all residents, regardless of immigration status.
The budget...
3.4 magnitude earthquake shakes Pajaro Valley
A 3.4 magnitude earthquake centered near Watsonville shook the Pajaro Valley Tuesday morning.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the temblor struck at 10:38am about three miles from Interlaken, northeast of Watsonville.
It could reportedly be felt throughout Watsonville and in North Monterey County and...
Empower Watsonville hosts annual leadership conference
WATSONVILLE—Empower Watsonville, a youth leadership group that aims to amplify young voices in local government, hosted its annual conference at the Gene Hoularis and Waldo Rodriguez Youth Center on Dec. 2.
Empower Watsonville is a health policy program of Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance...
Woman seriously hurt in Highway 129 crash
A 31-year-old Hollister woman was seriously injured when her car plowed head-on into a big rig on Highway 129 early Wednesday.
California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said the woman was driving a red 2006 Kia Sportage east on Highway 129 east of Murphy Road...
Santa Cruz County animal shelter employees demanding changes
Dozens of Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter employees briefly walked off the job on Nov. 30 to conduct an informational picket highlighting what they describe as untenable working conditions and inadequate pay, with no support from their management.
The issue is exacerbated by a recent...
$6 million loan will let Watsonville build new landfill
WATSONVILLE—A $6 million loan from the State of California will allow Watsonville to build a new landfill, a move that will save money and give the City a place to haul its waste for as long as three decades.
The loan from the California Infrastructure...
Driscoll’s gets new CEO as Reiter steps down
Driscoll’s berry company on Tuesday announced Soren Bjorn as the company’s new CEO.
Bjorn previously served as president of Driscoll’s of the Americas.
He will assume the role in January and oversee the company’s global day-to-day operations, the company announced in a press release.
J. Miles Reiter,...
PV’s Lara-Alvarez named Santa Lucia’s top player | All-PCAL football
In 2024, Pajaro Valley senior Benito Lara-Alvarez was primarily on the defensive side of the ball for the Grizzlies.
Prior to the start of this...





















