Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Cabrillo College has been awarded a five-year, $5 Million U.S. Department of Education Title III grant, meant for STEM programs at federally-designated Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI). To receive the HSI designation, at least a quarter of a college’s student body must be Hispanic....

The Campaign for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture (CORA) is organizing a forum about alternatives to pesticides. CORA is a grassroots organization of residents living in Pajaro Valley and Monterey Bay, dedicated to creating a more environmentally friendly agriculture system. Speakers at the forum will discuss...

By Stacy Cowley and Jim Tankersley, of The New York Times Aiming to put its own stamp on the Paycheck Protection Program, the Biden administration on Monday abruptly changed crucial program rules in ways intended to help the smallest and neediest companies, which have sometimes...

APTOS—Beth McCullough and her son Journey Legen came to the emergency shelter at Cabrillo College in Aptos on Thursday night when the shelter in which they were hoping to stay in Santa Cruz filled up. Originally from Bakersfield, both are homeless. They were among 10...

WATSONVILLE—Situated on the outskirts of Watsonville, just down the road from Pajaro Valley High School, sits Esperanza Community Farms. Established in 2017, the farm provides affordable organic produce to about 100 local families through a biweekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, while aiming to promote...

A weekly column that celebrates local businesses — especially eateries, watering holes, coffee shops and the like.

As a slight sprinkle started to dampen the streets of Watsonville Friday afternoon, Felix Hindahl rolled into Watsonville Plaza on a bicycle laden with panniers, handlebar bags, electronics and other gear. That—and the 20-year-old Hanover, Germany native’s bicycling attire—spoke of someone serious about long road...

CENTRAL COAST—Forty percent of Santa Cruz County has now been deemed drought-free due to the rains that have drenched the Central Coast since the year began. Meanwhile, 17% of California is now out of drought conditions following a federal drought monitoring program’s report Thursday. The U.S....

WATSONVILLE—Since 2014 there have been eight unsolved gang-related homicides in Watsonville, according to Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido. Many of those victims’ mothers—and those of countless other gang-related homicide victims from the Pajaro Valley—are still holding out hope that one day that will change. Sunday’s...