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WATSONVILLE—Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for Watsonville neighborhoods with a high risk of flooding during this Wednesday’s storm, which is said to hit the region early tomorrow morning.  City officials urge residents who live within this map's blue-shaded area to evacuate tonight. Choosing not...

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...

WATSONVILLE—More than 40 school bus drivers who conducted a “sick-out” on Oct. 21 and 24 are back at work, and Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez has called the action “unlawful,” saying it violated the recent CSEA Collective Bargaining Agreement. “We deeply regret...

WATSONVILLE—Two local arts organizations are hosting a four-day Holiday Boutique this week at the historic Porter Building in downtown Watsonville. Arte Del Corazón (ADC), a group that has been staging open-air art shows, markets and events throughout Watsonville since 2019, is organizing the boutique with...

The community is gearing up for the Watsonville Strawberry Festival 2023, a beloved annual event that celebrates the region's rich agricultural heritage. This year’s festival promises to be a delightful extravaganza, with a special focus on showcasing local arts and crafts vendors, a Berry...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 24 approved a series of bonuses and supplemental payments aimed at retaining teachers and school employees. Every teacher, school worker and administrator employed since April 1—and who plans to stay with the district through...

SANTA CRUZ—For the purposes of this article, Maya and Sebastian Laing’s story begins on Oct. 20, when a group of strangers paid a late-night visit to their grandmother’s house where they had been staying.  After trying unsuccessfully to convince the kids to come with them...

Hundreds of people packed city and county meeting chambers throughout the day on Tuesday to ask local elected leaders to pass resolutions demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The action resulted in the Santa Cruz City Council creating a special meeting to discuss...

PAJARO—The Pajaro River came within a few inches of overtopping its banks—and overwhelming the structures put in place to stop flooding—during the series of atmospheric rivers that swept through the region in the early part of January. That is according to Monterey County Water Resources...

Longtime school board member, coach, mentor and businessman in the Pajaro Valley Willie Yahiro was remembered by close to 250 people Saturday at the Henry J. Mello Center. The event included prayer and homily by Rev. Dan Hoffman, scripture read by  Brooke Uchida, opening hymn...