Work program aimed at homeless individuals continues growth
WATSONVILLE—The streets of Watsonville continue to get tidied up thanks to an ever-expanding group of people experiencing homelessness that bands together and hits the streets under the WatsonvilleWorks! program.
Founded in September 2019 by a group of human services leaders, the program has thus far...
Man arrested on multiple sex crimes
WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday arrested a Watsonville man on numerous sex charges involving a minor.
Carlos Gomez Velasco, 39, has been charged with oral copulation with a minor, contacting a minor for sexual purposes, sexual battery and contributing to the delinquency of...
KSQD celebrates three years on the air
SANTA CRUZ—For years, KUSP was Santa Cruz’s non-university-affliated public radio station, offering local news and extensive music and talk programming, and acting as a regional affiliate for National Public Radio.
The station went dark in 2016, but it wasn’t long before a group of citizens...
Prolific local columnist, Steve Bankhead, dies
WATSONVILLE—Stephen Gerald Bankhead was a longtime Watsonville resident who made learning about Pajaro Valley’s history—and relaying it to the community—his passion in the latter part of his life.
Most recently, he wrote the Pajaro Valley Past column for The Pajaronian, taking it over from historian...
Man faces DUI charges after plowing into six vehicles
WATSONVILLE—A man was arrested on March 5 after he reportedly crashed into six parked vehicles with his pickup and then fled the scene.
Watsonville Police Department Sgt. Henry Robles said the man, identified as Hermeliondo Lopez, 39, was driving a GMC Sierra when he struck...
Sheriff’s Office outlines military equipment policy
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has at its disposal several pieces of military-grade equipment to use during the myriad emergency incidents that occur throughout the year.
This ranges from armored vehicles to pepper-ball launchers to drones.
And now, all of that equipment is...
Watsonville Vaccine Center set to close Sunday
The Watsonville Vaccine Center at old City Hall in downtown Watsonville will close on March 27.
Thanks to the combined effort from the City of Watsonville, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, Community Action Board and Community Bridges, the Watsonville Vaccine Center administered more than...
One for the books
A Watsonville teen has far surpassed her goal of collecting books for young people, and on Friday gave the books away.
PVUSD to consider 150 layoffs
This story has been updated from an earlier version. Pajaro Valley Unified School District may lay off more than 150 employees to save...
