Local News

WATSONVILLE—Two people were shot and killed in a span of just more than 48 hours in Watsonville, raising concerns about an uptick of violence in Santa Cruz County’s southernmost city. Watsonville police are investigating the shooting deaths of 19-year-old Fancisco Mora and 30-year-old Octavio Varela...

The Watsonville Woman’s Club held its first meeting of the season Friday, when they handed out $5,000 worth of scholarships to six recent high school graduates.

The Aptos High boys cross country team, once again led by its trio of standout seniors, defeated Monte Vista Christian to remain unbeaten in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play. Ben Laughlin won the 2.96-mile race in 15 minutes, 20 seconds, helping the Mariners secure...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday cast a split vote to allocate $3.79 million in Collective of Results and Evidence-based (CORE) funds to 28 nonprofits after a contentious discussion that prompted many to question the transparency of the process. In all, more...

WATSONVILLE—Elderday Adult Day Health Care, a program of local nonprofit Community Bridges, has for years aimed to empower seniors to live at home with independence and dignity.  But after Covid-19 hit and shelter-in-place orders went into effect, Elderday was forced to close. In the following...

After a significant portion of the Bonny Doon community mobilized to try to keep a man who raped a 21-year-old woman in the 1980s from moving to town, Santa Cruz County is now seeking changes to California law, so it can have additional tools...

Scholarship opportunities for Cabrillo students in healthcare field The Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust Board of Directors recently announced it has been named administrator of the Dr. Ehler H. Eiskamp Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will provide $50,000 in local healthcare scholarships. A Stanford graduate and the...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville leaders past and present showered longtime Watsonville City Clerk Beatriz Vasquez Flores with praise at Tuesday night’s Watsonville City Council meeting, honoring the outgoing official for her 42 years of service to the municipality. Along with kind words from active city council members and...

CENTRAL COAST—Heavy rains drenched the Central Coast at the start of the week, but forecasters say wet weather has largely drifted south, opening the curtain for warmer, sunny days. While areas of the Central Coast dealt with isolated flooding, a few down trees and a...

Bizarre and beautiful plants, bulleting hummingbirds and more often inspire visitors to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum. And now, through Nov. 17, a large-scale art exhibit on the picturesque hillside takes that inspiration to some intriguing places.