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Watsonville
December 25, 2025

Sergeant retires after nearly three decades with Watsonville Police

watsonville police sgt mike ridgway
A festive farewell lunch Dec. 21 set the tone for the final day of duty for Watsonville Police Sgt. Mike Ridgway as he set his sails toward retirement. As part of the departure, a 911 dispatcher delivered a statement over the police radio: “This is...

Watsonville Center for the Arts celebrates one year

Watsonville Center for the Arts Ballet Folklorico Ollin dancers
The Watsonville Center for the Arts announced its one-year anniversary as a thriving arts and culture hub in downtown Watsonville. This milestone marks the realization of a long-held dream for the local community, providing a dedicated space to nurture cultural arts, provide creative opportunities...

PHOTO: DUI suspect flips vehicle on East Lake Avenue

east lake avenue crash blackburn street
A Watsonville firefighter helps clean up the scene of a two-vehicle crash on East Lake Avenue at Blackburn Street Thursday night. Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said Margarito Martinez-Garcia, 19, was traveling westbound in a Honda Accord at 7:20pm when he plowed into the...

Flooding shuts down streets in Watsonville

east lake avenue flooding road closure
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville officials issued expanded evacuation warnings late Thursday night as floodwaters have shut down numerous streets in the city. The expanded evacuation warnings include E. Front and White streets south of Riverside Drive, and near the intersection of Green Valley and Holohan roads. The City of...

North County Fire District welcomes new firefighters, recognizes promotions

north county fire district firefighters
CASTROVILLE—The North County Fire District swore in five new firefighters on Tuesday and held a badge pinning ceremony for three who have recently been promoted. During the ceremony at the Castroville Public Library, five new firefighters who have recently filled vacant positions received their badges:...

Santa Cruz otter captures national attention

sea otter santa cruz
A sea otter at Cowell’s Beach on the westside of Santa Cruz has garnered headlines around the country for its "unusual behavior," as described by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The otter, identified as Otter 841 by a tag on its flipper, has recently...

PHOTO: Watsonville High’s homecoming parade

watsonville high homecoming parade main street downtown
Antique fire engines are just a fraction of Watsonville High School's homecoming parade Wednesday afternoon that rolled along Main Street. The Wildcatz will take on Seaside Friday at their homecoming game.

Open Studios Art Tour begin Saturday

The annual Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour, which showcases dozens of artists around the county in their studios, is set to welcome the public starting Oct. 4. To prime the public with a wide range of what’s on deck, the Pajaro Valley Arts...

Cabrillo ceramics students to throw sale

cabrillo college ceramics
Several dozen students in the ceramics program at Cabrillo College are busy at the Kathryn McBride Ceramics Studio at the Aptos campus making clay goods for their upcoming Build and Throw-a-thon sale. Instructor Sylvia Rios said students have been in high gear creating a wide...
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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...

ICE becomes an autocratic tool