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The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved salary increases for teachers and management, capping off months of negotiations and tense public meetings in which principals and other upper-level employees spent hours justifying their positions. The trustees also approved identical...

WATSONVILLE—A disaster recovery center opened in downtown Watsonville on Friday to direct Pajaro flood victims to federal relief programs. The center, operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is open daily (except April 9) from 9am to 7pm at Old City Hall, 250 Main St....

California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on Tuesday introduced legislation intended to speed up the $400 million rebuild of the Pajaro River Levee.  Assembly Bill 876 would expedite the work by exempting certain aspects of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The bill would also weigh...

When Vanessa Quiroz-Carter and Maria Orozco were sworn in Tuesday as Watsonville’s mayor and vice mayor, it marked the second time in the city’s history that women held both top spots. The last time was in 2019, when Rebecca Garcia and Trina Coffman-Gomez served in...

PAJARO VALLEY—A growing list of helping hands during the flood crisis that struck Pajaro recently continues to dole out badly needed goods and services. On Saturday the staff at Pajaro Valley Shelter Services in Watsonville invited 100 families from Pajaro to help themselves to new...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to purchase a mid-county building which, if it passes inspection, will house the County’s first residential mental crisis program for youth.  The new Children’s Crisis Stabilization Unit and Short Term...

CENTRAL COAST—Forty percent of Santa Cruz County has now been deemed drought-free due to the rains that have drenched the Central Coast since the year began. Meanwhile, 17% of California is now out of drought conditions following a federal drought monitoring program’s report Thursday. The U.S....

SANTA CRUZ—In a future envisioned by Santa Cruz County education officials, every comprehensive high school in the county will have a mental health services “hub” where students can access a wide range of counseling and mental health services. Before that date, the County will launch...

California Highway Patrol officer Sam Courtney leads a procession Wednesday for the hearse (second in line) carrying the late Santa Cruz City Fire Capt. Brian Tracy. After a two-year battle with brain cancer, Tracy died April 27. He was born and raised in Santa...

El Mercado farmers market is up and running at Ramsay Park every Tuesday from 2-6pm. Market Manager Jesus Madrigal said about a dozen vendors, from prepared food to fresh produce and other goods, were on hand Tuesday alongside information tables from hosts and sponsors. Ana...