Local News

Watsonville Certified Farmer’s Market manager Jesus Madrigal was recognized at a Feb. 10 City Council meeting with a framed proclamation handed to him by Mayor Kristal Salcedo.  In addition to his work at the market, Madrigal also oversees the operation at Pinto Lake City Park...

The Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building serves as a meeting place for people who have served in the U.S. military and as a hub for medical, housing and social services. But at 88 years old, the building is showing its age. The elevator is out of...

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla announced Tuesday that he and Sen. Adam Schiff secured $54 million in federal funding for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, aimed at strengthening flood protection for Watsonville and Pajaro. The funding will go toward reconstructing failing levees along the...

Tony Nuñez is a Watsonville High School graduate who became a reporter and then editor of The Pajaronian and Good Times, and moved on to work with the nonprofit Community Bridges.  He later became an inaugural member of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHCD),...

The folks at the Santa Cruz County Fair have chosen a theme for the 2026 fair: “Apple Pies and Starry Skies!” “This winning theme for the 2026 Santa Cruz County Fair, set for September 16-20, evokes both nostalgia and hopefulness for the future, a classic...

Pajaro Valley Trustee Gabe Medina will be prohibited from entering the PV High campus for two weeks.  In a tense Wednesday meeting characterized by arguments amongst board members, callouts from the audience and multiple calls for recess, Medina’s fellow board members agreed to issue him...

The public got a chance to hear Watsonville artist Yermo Aranda talk about his lengthy contributions to the art world on Jan. 31 at a talk at the Santa Cruz Art League.  Aranda and about 60 guests sat in the center of the current exhibit,...

Santa Cruz Burger Week returns for its ninth year next month, offering diners a chance to sample creative takes on a classic favorite. The 12-day event, presented by Santa Cruz Restaurant Week and Good Times, runs Feb. 25 through March 8 and features specially priced...

The new Capitola Avenue overcrossing at Highway 1 opened to the public last week after a two-year closure.  The heavily-used corridor for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians between Soquel and Capitola villages is the first completed component of the Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes and Bus-on-Shoulder Project...