Local News

WATSONVILLE—A construction crew replacing a sewer line ruptured a natural gas line Wednesday morning on the 1400 block of Freedom Boulevard, according to Watsonville Fire Division Chief Corey Schaefer. The 10am incident prompted Watsonville firefighters and police to shut down a section of Freedom Boulevard...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County has reduced homelessness among families by 59% compared to 2019, even as overall homelessness in the county increased by 6%.  That’s according to preliminary results of the county’s biannual Point-In-Time (PIT) count released Aug. 5 by the Housing for Health...

WATSONVILLE—Two local businesses are celebrating their anniversaries by offering community events throughout the month of August. Santa Cruz Cider Company (SCCC) and The Slough Brewing Collective are neighbors, both located off of Hangar Way in Watsonville. Since the brewery first opened in 2020, the two...

WATSONVILLE—The sale of Watsonville Community Hospital to a nonprofit that would bring local leadership to the 127-year-old institution after two decades of corporate ownership is entering its final stretch, with roughly $6 million still needed to close the deal. In a meeting on Aug. 4,...

The annual Watsonville Strawberry Festival returned to its three-day format from Aug. 5-7.

SANTA CRUZ—A 24-year-old woman died early Thursday morning when she was struck by a vehicle as she and her 4-year-old daughter crossed Highway 1 in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Police Department spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke said the woman was crossing Highway 1 at River Street around...

WATSONVILLE—Hundreds of cars passed through Watsonville Community Hospital’s (WCH) parking lot Thursday for an annual event aiming to promote breastfeeding. World Breastfeeding Week, held this year Aug. 1-7, was started in 1992 to generate public awareness and support for breastfeeding. WCH has for years observed...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—There are many things that Santa Cruz County residents can boast about the place they live, including the astounding natural beauty and proximity to the coast. But there is one aspect that will likely not be found on a tourism brochure, and will...

WATSONVILLE—Work is slated to wrap up this week on an underground sewer line on Freedom Boulevard on the north side of the city. The project, which got underway last week near the intersection of Buena Vista Drive and Compton Terrace at Freedom Boulevard, calls for...

WATSONVILLE—Armed with grabbers, cans, garbage bags and gloves, more than 25 volunteers gathered at Murphy Crossing Road early on July 29 for a community cleanup of a portion of the Pajaro River on the outskirts of Watsonville. The volunteers picked up plastic, cans, bottles, mattresses,...