Local News

PLEASURE POINT—The man found dead late Tuesday morning in a vehicle in the Santa Cruz Mountains has been identified as Tushar Atre, who was kidnapped from his Pleasure Point home about seven hours earlier. Atre, 50, was taken from his upscale oceanfront home about 3...

Special events Gourmet Grazing on the Green  (Oct. 5) Held at Aptos Village Park, Grazing on the Green is a day of fine wine, excellent food and live music. Spend the afternoon sampling the delicious flavors from dozens of local restaurants and local wineries. Event starts at...

WATSONVILLE — Beginning this month, babies born in Watsonville will have a small head start toward college. That’s thanks to Santa Cruz Community Ventures, which has launched Savings and Engagement for Education and Development Success, otherwise known as SEEDS. The program will launch with newborn babies from...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a sweeping ban on the sale of various tobacco products. Starting in late November, the sale of flavored tobacco, e-cigarettes and vapes will be outlawed, and pharmacies operating in city limits will no longer be able to...

WATSONVILLE—After a half-century in business, Jim Barsi has sold his eponymous liquor store, and will retire in December. That’s when new owners will take over, and rename it Watsonville Fiesta Liquor. But that’s a story for the future. The story of Barsi’s Liquor Store began in...

SANTA CRUZ—An unsanctioned homeless camp in Santa Cruz has reopened, this time with a new name, increased security and a set of rules designed to reduce crime and drug use. Now called Camp Phoenix – after the mythological bird that rose anew out of its...

WATSONVILLE—A group of human services leaders officially launched a program created to put homeless people to work, pay them a small stipend and, more importantly, give them a sense of purpose  Under the WatsonvilleWorks! program, which began on Sept. 9, homeless people help clean areas...

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Franchise specializes in Asian rice and salad bowls Rancho Del Mar shopping center in Aptos is celebrating the opening of a new restaurant. Poki Bowl, which originated in San Jose, offers an extensive menu of Asian rice and salad bowls, with a plethora of raw fish...

WATSONVILLE—Yocelyn Gonzalez, a senior at Pajaro Valley High School, shadowed outgoing Watsonville Mayor Francisco “Paco” Estrada and recently seated Mayor Rebecca Garcia on Wednesday after winning the Mayor for the Day essay contest earlier this month. Gonzalez followed the two leaders from 9 a.m. to...