Local News

In the early 1980s, when her eponymous bakery was in its infancy, Gayle Ortiz learned that a developer planned to turn the land surrounding the Rispin Mansion in Capitola into a senior living complex and several private homes. That plan did not sit well with...

A countywide celebration of visual and performing arts kicked off April 16 and will run through April 26.  The Ripple Effect Santa Cruz County Arts Festival is the County’s effort to highlight the creative community during California’s Arts, Culture and Creativity Month.  Organizers said the event...

Public defenders in Santa Cruz County will join colleagues across California and the nation April 23 in a coordinated protest highlighting what they describe as chronic underfunding and unmanageable caseloads that threaten defendants’ constitutional right to counsel. Chief Public Defender Heather Rogers is urging community...

Two environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday accusing Graniterock of violating the Clean Water Act for more than 1,000 days at its A.R. Wilson Quarry in Aromas. Environment California and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance allege the Watsonville-based company has for years discharged excessive...

Facing years of declining enrollment likely to take a multimillion-dollar bite out of its budget—coupled with federal education cuts and an impending recession—Pajaro Valley Unified School District has taken the first step toward possibly closing some schools. District officials this week announced the creation of...

The three candidates vying to be the next District 4 Supervisor met at a public forum Wednesday night, each ready to discuss where they want to lead Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley.  Felipe Hernandez is the current supervisor for District 4. He is challenged by...

Fruition Brewing and Kitchen in Watsonville has been named Small Brewery of the Year at the 2026 Best of Craft Beer Awards, a national competition that drew nearly 1,400 entries from breweries around the world. The Watsonville-based brewery in the East Lake Village Shopping Center...

Anyone rolling along Riverside Drive into Watsonville from Highway 1 lately must have noticed the new, healthy welcome mat—20 acres of organic artichokes popping their thistle heads up at the Sadie Ranch. The organic crop is a first for the Pajaro Valley.  The crop, known...

Eighteen artworks by Watsonville artist Sefla Joseph are now on exhibit at the Aptos Public Library, along with a show by Aptos artist Diane Levin. Spread around the facility, Joseph’s works include abstract portraits done with charcoal, chalk, and ink and paintings in  acrylic/mixed media...

A countywide celebration of visual and performing arts kicked off Thursday and will run through April 26.  The Ripple Effect Santa Cruz County Arts Festival is the County’s effort to highlight the creative community during California’s Arts, Culture and Creativity Month.  Organizers said the event brings...