County Supervisors green-light SHIELD ordinance
Santa Cruz County’s immigrant population received an additional measure of protection Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance which, if adopted March 24, would prohibit federal immigration officials from using county property or facilities for immigration-related enforcement...
Lito’s Lounge in Corralitos to amp up evening hours
The owners of the three-year-old Lito’s Lounge, housed in the historic Five Mile House in Corralitos, have always envisioned a place where people could gather, socialize and listen to live music into the evening hours.
That vision got closer to reality recently when the business...
Photo story: Two teens arrested after e-bike chase
A tow operator lifts one of two electric dirt bikes onto a flatbed truck after being stopped by Watsonville Police on Bridge Street Tuesday afternoon. Sgt. Jarrod Pisturino said WPD has received numerous complaints about youths speeding through and around the Vista Montaña housing...
RTC looks to federal, state government to fill rail funding gap
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) will seek funding from the state and federal government to support construction planning for a passenger rail line spanning the length of the county.
In a Thursday meeting, the commission voted unanimously to request $15 million to...
Pilots Association prevails on airport land use case
A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Watsonville violated state law when it approved housing development near the Watsonville Municipal Airport without first adopting required airport safety standards.
In a 24-page decision issued Feb. 3, Judge Timothy Schmal sided...
Advocates warn of immigration scam
Legal advocates are warning the public about a multistate scam targeting the immigrant community, with some victims losing as much as $30,000.
According to Claudia Abasto Rivilla, founder and executive director of Salinas-based Latin Advocacy Network (LATINAN), scammers target Spanish- and Indigenous-language speakers using information...
Meeting highlights downsides of BESS facilities
More than 150 people gathered Feb. 28 at Pinto Lake City Park to share ideas and information about a proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) a few blocks away on Minto Road in Watsonville.
The public meeting, hosted by Stop Lithium BESS in Santa Cruz,...
Protest of teacher layoffs continue
Several dozen Pajaro Valley Unified School District teachers and staff were joined by community supporters early Tuesday morning at The Towers in Watsonville to rally against teacher layoffs that were approved on Dec. 11.
PVUSD administrators declined to comment.
School districts typically cannot comment about ongoing...
New giant mural celebrated in Pajaro
Community Bridges and Hijos del Sol, a Salinas-based community art group, were part of a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday in Pajaro to celebrate the completion of “Life Transforms/La vida se transforma,” a 160 by 25-foot outdoor mural created in partnership with Pajaro residents.
The mural took...
Students learn the power of the vote at Civics Summit
On Friday, about 150 high school juniors from across Santa Cruz County cast their first ballots on three issues that, if passed, would dramatically affect their lives.
Measure A would lower the statewide voting age to 16. Measure B would prohibit the redrawing of state...
‘Catz lose tight battle to Los Alamitos in D-III title match...
So close, yet so far.
A historical journey for the Watsonville High boys soccer team came to a heart-rending end Saturday afternoon.
The No. 1 Wildcatz...
