Briefs: Donkey Basketball in Watsonville; free tablets for older residents
Watsonville FFA hosts Donkey Basketball tournament
Watsonville FFA will present its third annual Donkey Basketball tournament on Feb. 23 at Watsonville High School, 250 East Beach St., in the gym with doors opening at 6pm and the games starting at 7pm.
“Donkey Basketball” is just that—players...
Supervisors signal support for tenant protection rules
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—One woman lost her job and couldn’t pay rent, and then found herself in a battle with her landlord, who didn’t believe her story and threatened eviction.
A family financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic found themselves battling a landlord who raised their...
Watsonville’s senior community gets flood update
Watsonville City officials hosted a community meeting Monday evening to address unresolved issues and “misinformation” from an April 11 City Council meeting regarding storms and floods that hit the Central Coast at the close of the year and into 2023.
The two-hour meeting, at Ann...
PHOTO: Officials tour flood-damaged neighborhoods in Watsonville
Mark Strudley (center), Flood Control Division Manager of Santa Cruz County Department of Public Works, joins other officials in touring a College Road neighborhood recently to assess recent flood damage. Included in the tour were representatives from the offices of Senator Alex Padilla, Assemblyman...
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...
Willie Yahiro honored
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...
Inmate dies in Santa Cruz County Jail
An inmate at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail died Saturday after being found in medical distress.
Ashley Keehn, spokeswoman for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, said 42-year-
old Trevor George died from asphyxia by hanging in a suicide, according to the Sheriff’s forensic pathologist.
He...
Historic boat back home at Monterey Bay
The Western Flyer is a 77-foot wooden boat made famous by expeditions of author John Steinbeck and his biologist friend Ed Ricketts.
The purse seiner has now found a new home in the Monterey Bay.
Built in Tacoma, Wash., in 1937 to fish for sardines in...
Watsonville Wetlands Watch receives $3.2M grant
Watsonville Wetlands Watch was recently awarded a $3.275 million federal grant to boost its tree planting and education programs.
Its project, called Growing Tree Canopy, Climate Resilience and Green Jobs Pathways in the Pajaro Valley (PV Trees), will build upon its established urban forestry program...
Childcare providers demand support for Pajaro flood victims
Dozens of childcare providers from around the Central Coast joined forces with parents, community members, and elected officials in a rally Saturday morning in Watsonville Plaza to demand that Gov. Gavin Newsom bolster funding for providers and ongoing flood recovery efforts for Pajaro families.
“We...
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...




















