Local News

The original road between Watsonville and Gilroy was a narrow, windy turnpike, dating back to 1860.  The roadway mostly still exists, and is now named Mt. Madonna Road.  But over the years, it was known at different times as Bodfish Canyon Road, the Watsonville Road and...

After celebrating the holidays with her family and recovering from a bout of Covid, Zoe Lofgren flew back to Washington, DC on Jan. 2 to begin her new term representing California’s 18th Congressional District in the US Congress.  The district follows Highway 101 from San...

In 1942, the U.S. and Mexico hammered out a deal that allowed millions of Mexican men to enter the country to work as Braceros. Through its 22-year history, the Bracero Program saw more than four million workers come to work as agricultural laborers. The Braceros—which...

About 150 people attended a brief ceremony Saturday morning hosted by Santa Cruz City officials to kick open the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf after it was closed Dec. 23 due to heavy surf damage. “I love it because I love being out here,” said Kevin...

Less than two years after he was hired to run the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Zeke Fraser announced his resignation from the post. Fraser was hired as CEO/Fair Manager in June 2023.  The 14th District Agricultural Association/Santa Cruz County Fair Board of Directors  has accepted Fraser's...

The first baby born in Santa Cruz County came 44 minutes into the New Year at Watsonville Community Hospital. At 12:44am Wednesday Magali Elias and Josué Reyes welcomed their first child, Ailany Galilea, to the world thanks to the folks at the Hospital’s Labor and...

We wanted to end the old year and ring in the new one with a collection of photos from notable events from2024. And what a year it was! Just a few months after local officials celebrated the reopening of the Capitola Wharf after months of...

In a brief special meeting on  Dec. 27, three Santa Cruz County Supervisors declared a local emergency, which will allow officials to request state and federal assistance for the damages from the heavy surf, winds and storm surge on Dec. 23 and 24. The waves...

After driving through California, Arizona, New Mexico and half of Texas, my wife, Sarah, and I departed Fort Stockton on day seven of our road trip and headed to San Antonio, the final destination and midpoint of our two-week journey. It was here Sarah checked...

California lawmakers in 2024 introduced 4,821 bills, but most of them did not become law, having been tossed or otherwise rejected during the months-long legislative process during which most never saw the light of day. Just 1,206 made it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, with...