Local News

Every year,  lawmakers in Sacramento introduce a flurry of bills, most of which are eviscerated during the legislative process and end up on the Assembly or Senate trash heap. A select few make it to the governor’s desk, and assuming they dodge the veto...

A celebration 90 years in the making is underway at the California Highway Patrol.

A group of city workers and volunteers spent the afternoon cleaning massive amounts of trash from a wooded hillside in Watsonville one sunny day in early December, hauling away several full dumpsters. “It’s a hot mess,” said Sally-Christine Rodgers, who founded the Pitch-In Initiative about...

WATSONVILLE—A man suspected of robbing the Walgreens store in Watsonville was arrested in Oakland Sunday. Watsonville police said the suspect, Elben Ramos, 26, entered the pharmacy at Walgreens on Freedom Boulevard around 7am on Saturday. He jumped over the counter and filled a bag with...

WATSONVILLE—More than two dozen community members at Tuesday night’s Watsonville City Council meeting showed resounding support for the Pajaro Valley Arts Council’s planned rebuild of the historic Porter Building, a City of Watsonville-owned property at the gateway of downtown. And a competing proposal from...

WATSONVILLE—Felipe Hernandez has increased his lead on Jimmy Dutra in the race for the 4th District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, according to updated results released by the County Elections Department on Friday evening. Hernandez, the former mayor of Watsonville, now...

Since June, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees has been considering a plan to retool its Visual and Performing Arts program at its 16 elementary schools, a proposal that includes splitting art teachers between most schools. The shift would be part of...

WATSONVILLE—A 46-year-old man is in critical condition after being shot early Saturday morning near the Pajaro River levee on Walker Street, an area that has seen two other shootings in recent months. Watsonville Police Department officers were dispatched to the end of Walker Street near...

After a contentious meeting on Tuesday, a divided Watsonville City Council approved in concept several amendments to its retail cannabis ordinances, a move intended to ease the regulatory burden for a burgeoning industry already beleaguered by local, state and federal regulations. City officials say the...

The folks at the Fairgrounds Foundation have teamed up with the Agricultural History Project this year to create the first-ever Holiday Lights Drive-Thru. The colorful, light-infused event is offered as an alternative to Christmas celebrations during the pandemic, where visitors won't have to get...