Local News

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday voted unanimously to name Aptos High School’s lower athletic field after Bobby Salazar, who spent four decades as school custodian and who was so involved in the community he was known as the...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police Department has several military-grade weapons that it says it only uses in extraordinary circumstances. That armory includes nearly two dozen high-powered rifles, a few shotguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and dozens of less-lethal and “crowd control” weapons such as flashbangs, rubber grenades...

WATSONVILLE—Since 2018, Watsonville-based nonprofit Digital NEST has hosted NEST Flight, a career development conference aiming to inspire young professionals and propel their careers. The event features speakers, workshops, panel discussions, networking opportunities and more for people ages 17-24. During the conference, attendees have the opportunity...

In 2021, biotech company Blume Industries (BI) and Whiskey Hill Farms (WHF) became recipients of The Farmer Rancher Grant, a major grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Western Division of Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). The grant aims to support farmers and...

WATSONVILLE—A small 1900s wooden wagon has been given new life thanks to volunteers from the Agricultural History Project at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. History Project CEO John Kegebein said the 6-foot-long wagon, with the words FIRE PATROL written on the side, was originally donated...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—After 12 years at the helm of Grey Bears, executive director Tim Brattan has announced that he will be retiring from his position by the end of 2022.  Grey Bears is a nonprofit aiming to improve the health and well-being of seniors and...

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez has been named Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 10.  The region covers 42 school districts in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. “It is a pleasure and privilege to...

For the past two years the Dan & Lillian King Foundation, which aims to advance the learning of the U.S. Constitution, has sent scores of eighth-graders from Monterey County schools to see live productions of the Tony Award-winning show, “Hamilton: An American Musical.” Hundreds of...

WATSONVILLE—The musical group Rosa Azul is set to perform Sunday at Studio Judy G on Main Street.  The quartet, which describes itself as “a new ensemble of professional musicians that perform some of the best Mexican music with a polished flare,” will perform in the...

CALIFORNIA—Vincent Marquez will be the first to say he has not led a perfect life.  He is in Soledad State Prison for a 2008 burglary conviction, serving sentences totaling more than four decades that could keep the 65-year-old incarcerated until 2041. But he hopes to change...