Woman seriously hurt in Highway 129 crash
A 31-year-old Hollister woman was seriously injured when her car plowed head-on into a big rig on Highway 129 early Wednesday.
California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said the woman was driving a red 2006 Kia Sportage east on Highway 129 east of Murphy Road...
Braga steps down as girls’ basketball coach at St. Francis
WATSONVILLE—St. Francis High School girls’ basketball coach Randy Braga—who led the Sharks to three-straight Central Coast Section Division V championships—will not make a return to the sidelines this year.
Athletic Director Adam Hazel issued a press release March 24 stating that Braga stepped down from...
CDPH gives high school sports ‘blueprint’ to return to play
By Emanuel Lee, Hollister Free Lance Sports Editor
Calling it the “document we’ve been waiting for,” Central Coast Section Commissioner Dave Grissom said the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) recent release in regards to youth sports gives him and the other 10 section commissioners...
Nominations open for annual Be the Difference Awards
The call for nominations for the 13th Annual Be the Difference Awards went out Monday.
County’s plan for aging seeks community input
Santa Cruz County is presenting a Master Plan for Aging (MPA) survey residents can take that will help county leaders craft a plan to meet the needs of its rapidly growing senior population.
When it is complete, the county’s MPA—called “Age Well Santa Cruz County”—will...
Ballet theater filming virtual ‘Nutcracker’ performance
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—For years, the annual “Nutcracker, Clara's Dream” was a winter holiday staple put on by the Santa Cruz Ballet Theater. With their own take of Tchaivovsky’s ballet, that was typically staged at the Santa Cruz Civic, Cabrillo College’s Crocker Theater and the...
Voting underway for Pajaro River levee assessment
WATSONVILLE—Ballots have now been mailed out to roughly 3,000 people who own property in the Pajaro River floodplain, and the fate of a $400 million levee restoration project is in their hands.
They must decide whether they support a property tax assessment that will pay...
E.A. Hall field nears completion
WATSONVILLE—After years of playing on an ankle-twisting field pockmarked with scores of gopher holes, the students of E.A. Hall Middle School will soon have a new athletic field.
The synthetic turf field—yet to be given an official name—will be ready for use when students return...
Full overnight Highway 17 lane closures start tonight
Paving will take place from Granite Creek Rd. to Mt. Hermon Rd.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY– Highway 17 will have full overnight closures in both directions for paving from Granite Creek Rd. to Mt. Hermon Rd. for two nights starting tonight. The full closure hours will...
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...
