Local News

LA SELVA BEACH—After more than four decades as pastor of La Selva Beach Community Church, Rev. Jane Grady retired Sunday in a special service with her congregation. Grady arrived at La Selva Beach in 1980, fresh out of seminary and ready to serve a new...

SANTA CRUZ—A man who kidnapped, assaulted, robbed and shot his victim through the genitals last year was found guilty May 19 of aggravated mayhem, kidnapping, robbery and assault with a firearm, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell announced. Tilden Ball, 37, is set to...

Watsonville artist Jaime Sanchez touches up the giant mural the faces Hansen Park in downtown Watsonville. The mural, entitled "Triumph" was painted by Sanchez and fellow artist Paul De Worken six years ago. —photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Community Bridges and its nonprofit partners, Nonprofit Connection Santa Cruz County, Human Care Alliance, and Santa Cruz Community Ventures, will host a virtual forum on May 25 with local supervisor candidates from the 3rd and 4th Districts.  Candidates will open the forum by...

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PV Water) received $7.6 million to support its College Lake Project, which will supply a supplemental source of water for the Pajaro Valley. The grant was awarded May 4 through the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Sustainable Groundwater Management...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Office of Education recently announced the county’s Educator of the Year awards.  The awards recognize educators and staff who have gone above and beyond in their commitment to students, education and the community. Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools...

WATSONVILLE—A group of residents from Watsonville's senior neighborhoods gathered at the Pajaro Village Club House last week to hear a presentation on pesticide use, and on an upcoming pilot project to notify residents on nearby applications. Hosted by the Center for Farmworkers Families, Safe Ag...

A crew from Bogard Construction use an excavator to demolish the Aptos Branch Library Wednesday on Soquel Drive at State Park. A new library is in the works and expected to be completed by Summer 2023. The $14 million project was funded by voter-approved...

APTOS—An Aptos High School junior inspired by her father’s hard work in local agricultural fields has won this year’s 20th Congressional Art Competition, and will see her photograph hang in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Michelle Lopez-Rubio, 17, says she was working with...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on May 11 unanimously voted to continue a program at two high schools in which law enforcement officers are paired with mental health clinicians, and to bring the program to a third school. The School Resource...