Local News

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WATSONVILLE—Watsonville officials on Tuesday questioned the validity of an anonymous letter sent to various local media outlets and past and present city officials that accused City Manager Matt Huffaker of trying to bury an investigation into Fire Chief Rudy Lopez Sr. Promoted to the department’s...

The annual “Mi Casa es Tu Casa” exhibit, centered around Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a traditional holiday in Mexico, has opened at Pajaro Valley Arts in Watsonville. “Mi Casa es Tu Casa: Honoring Our Ancestors” features a range of participants, including...

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

SANTA CRUZ—Thousands of curious folks had a one-day window Tuesday to view and smell a blooming corpse flower at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden. The 4-foot tall flower, sheltered beneath a tent and kept warm with a space heater while being gently...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County health officials identified 37 new Covid-19 cases—the county’s largest single-day jump since the virus started its spread—on Monday, increasing the number of new cases over the last eight days to 142. There are 216 active cases in the county, and...

WATSONVILLE—Three organic Pajaro Valley farms will be featured in the 2020 EcoFarm Conference bus tour Wednesday—and a handful of seats are still available. Participants will visit Lakeside Organic Gardens, JSM Organics and Coastal Sun Cannabis/Moon Berry Farm during the tour, which kicks off the...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Since it began in January, Santa Cruz County’s composting program has diverted nearly 50,000 tons of food scraps from the Buena Vista Landfill, vastly reducing the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere and reshaping the way residents view their trash. That...

WATSONVILLE—Work is slated to wrap up this week on an underground sewer line on Freedom Boulevard on the north side of the city. The project, which got underway last week near the intersection of Buena Vista Drive and Compton Terrace at Freedom Boulevard, calls for...

Artist Judy Gittelsohn fondly remembers her first experience at an artist’s retreat. Working for the company Golden Paints, she was able to go to a place where she could work without distractions or responsibilities. “It really nourished my development,” Gittelsohn said. “I did my best...