Local News

WATSONVILLE—After 33 years of service behind badge number 251, Watsonville Police Sgt. Henry Robles put in his final shift last week.  The San Diego native was surrounded by a swarm of officers, city officials, friends and family in the Squad Room for a farewell sendoff...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—As the statewide eviction moratorium expires on June 30, many renters with past due bills as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic are still waiting for financial help which, unless they take action, might never come. Across Santa Cruz County, some 2,666 people...

Less than two years after he was hired to run the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Zeke Fraser announced his resignation from the post. Fraser was hired as CEO/Fair Manager in June 2023.  The 14th District Agricultural Association/Santa Cruz County Fair Board of Directors  has accepted Fraser's...

Cabrillo College announced Oct. 10 that it is the recipient of a five-year, $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). The Abriendo El Camino: Connecting & Supporting High School Students into Structured College & Career Pathways grant aims to strengthen career...

Hundreds of people lined up outside the new Vallarta Supermarket Wednesday morning, hoping to be one of the first 300 inside to score a free bag of groceries and to see the gleaming, 55,000 square foot store. But even for those that missed that prize,...

WATSONVILLE—The person tasked with creating a bridge between the community and the city of Watsonville’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Policing and Social Equity resigned earlier this month. Joy Flynn, a community activist who sits on the boards of various organizations in Santa Cruz County, says she...

WATSONVILLE—Mike Ciglar, a retired Watsonville Police Department officer and fixture in the local law scene for 30 years, died Oct. 15 at 62. A longtime Watsonville resident, soft-spoken and easy going, Ciglar, among other things, played a huge role in community involvement and served at...

PAJARO—Volunteers grabbed shovels, brooms, pressure washers and wheelbarrows Saturday to help citizens of flood-stricken Pajaro recover. Starting at 9am at Pajaro Middle School, the crowd formed teams and hit the streets of Pajaro, many targeting homes with caked up mud in and around their homes. Monterey...

In the eight years since the U.S. Supreme Court made same-sex marriage the law of the land, people across the globe have grown increasingly accepting of the LGBTQ community. Still, pockets of discrimination and bigotry remain. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, nearly 500...