Cabrillo board approves new $306K president contract
The Cabrillo College Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved a contract for Jenn Capps to be its new President and Superintendent.
Capps’ 3 1/2-year contract—which includes an option to renew—includes a $306,000 salary, a $4,885 yearly doctoral stipend and a $667 monthly car allowance, along...
Doctors warn of death cap mushroom poisoning
Poisonous death cap mushrooms have sickened people in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, according to a statewide list of areas reporting severe illnesses.
A group of California doctors warned Wednesday that foraging for wild mushrooms can be deadly, after an unusually high number of people...
PV Arts readies first show of 2026
Pajaro Valley Arts is preparing for its first show in 2026, an annual members’ exhibit titled “Welcome Home.”
Curated by first-time curator Jim Turner, the exhibit will feature 150 artists and will run from Jan. 13-Feb. 21 in the historic Porter Building in downtown Watsonville.
“We...
Annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair approaches
The Santa Cruz Fungus Fair is set to run Jan. 9-11 in Santa Cruz.
Without fungus, there would be no bread, cheese, beer, or wine, the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz says. Further, anti-cholesterol medicine was developed from mushrooms.
The public is invited to the Santa...
Christmas Bird Count numbers are in
A local group of birders joined forces to make a list of area birds as part of the national Christmas Bird Count on New Year’s Day, tallying 1,239 individuals.
That number of feathered denizens was a significant increase from last year, when the group counted...
Watsonville holds vigil for woman shot and killed by ICE
Around 150 people gathered in Watsonville Plaza Thursday night in a vigil for 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Wednesday in Minnesota.
Carrying candles and homemade signs honoring Good—a mother of three—the gathering marked...
2026 Santa Cruz County Fair theme contest underway
Organizers at the Santa Cruz County Fair are asking the public for ideas for a theme for the 2026 County Fair.
Anyone who has a “phrase that pops” or a “rhyme that shines” is invited to submit it.
“Imagine your words splashed across every poster and...
Protesters across the U.S. decry Venezuela invasion, Maduro capture
This story has been updated with quotes from people who attended the event.
Protests erupted across the United States on Saturday following President Donald Trump’s military attack on Venezuela late Friday.
Demonstrations were held throughout the Monterey Bay region, including in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Salinas and...
New leadership, shared priorities: Investing in the future of public safety
As we begin a new year, I want to reflect on the direction of public safety in Watsonville and the leadership helping guide that...
