Local News

WATSONVILLE—A Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge on Oct. 14 sided with the residents of a mobile home park who had been battling a giant rent increase since 2017.  Attorneys for the residents say the decision supports a County ordinance governing rent increases, and has...

It’s just after noon on Jan. 28, and a Roaring Camp train is getting ready to leave the station to wind its way up the Santa Cruz Mountains. “We’re two minutes late now, but that’s OK,” says the announcer on board, as the last stragglers...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will become the first amusement park in California to reopen after Covid-19 restrictions shuttered them statewide earlier this year, Boardwalk spokesman Kris Reyes said. Rides such as the famous Giant Dipper, which have sat dormant for months, will once...

APTOS—A group of business owners from the new Aptos Village complex gathered for a meeting in early March to discuss possible events and projects they wanted to do together. Their aim was to bring the community into the blooming hub.  But days later those plans...

WATSONVILLE—Roughly 60 people—many of them on bikes—gathered on the southwest outskirts of Watsonville on July 17 to celebrate the completion of the first phase of the city’s segment of the Coastal Rail Trail. The ribbon-cutting for the 12-foot wide, quarter-mile-long strip of asphalt between Walker...

APTOS—A long line of U.S. military veterans was outside an Aptos cannabis dispensary Monday, waiting their turn for a free monthly package of marijuana. Called the Veterans’ Compassion Program, the service is the overarching mission of the Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance (SCVA). Through it, people...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a resolution to censure embattled Trustee Georgia Acosta. Trustees Kim De Serpa, Maria Orozco, Jennifer Schacher and Jennifer Holm approved the censure. Acosta and Oscar Soto dissented. Trustee Daniel Dodge, Jr. abstained, saying that...

WATSONVILLE—Members of a local car club hope their passion projects will help the community’s farmworkers weather the unknown during the coronavirus pandemic. Watsonville Riders on Saturday will host the Farmworker Relief Cruise in downtown Watsonville from 5-7pm. The automobile showcase will serve as a fundraiser...

WATSONVILLE—Three new officers began their new careers with Watsonville Police Department on Aug. 16, and are now in the early stages of WPD’s 6-month field training program. Francisco Felix, Jasmine Tirado and Johnny Miranda are now riding along with experienced officers as they learn their...

WATSONVILLE—On July 8 Music in the Plaza, an outdoor concert series started in 2019, will return to downtown Watsonville after a year of canceled shows. Presented by the city of Watsonville in partnership with the Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) and iHeart Media, the concerts are...