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Watsonville
July 7, 2025

County health officials say cloth masks are ‘no longer preferred’ option

mask recommendations
Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said that residents should try to move away from using single-layered cloth face masks and instead seek out medical or surgical masks that have been more effective in slowing the spread of Covid-19. This includes N95, KN95...

PHOTO: 2 crashes clog Hwy 1 in Watsonville

Highway 1 crash
Watsonville firefighter John Stone (left) joins other emergency workers in dealing with a five-vehicle crash on northbound Highway 1 in Watsonville Jan. 14. Watsonville Firefighter John Stone (left) joins other emergency workers in dealing with one of two crashes on northbound Highway 1 in...

Schools plagued by mass absences as classes return

pvusd covid
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The new year has brought with it larger-than-average absence rates as students throughout Santa Cruz County return to in-person instruction.  Since Jan. 6, there have been 1,387 positive Covid-19 cases out of roughly 16,000 teachers and students tested, a positivity rate of around...

At-home Covid-19 tests change pandemic response

Covid testing
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—At least 4,000 Santa Cruz County residents have been infected with Covid-19 during the current winter surge sparked by the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. That figure posted to the County Health Services Agency’s online dashboard, however, is likely vastly...

Santa Cruz County Chamber announces new leaders

The Santa Cruz County Chamber announced its 2022 Chamber Board of Directors with a new Chair and Vice Chair, and added five new Board members to its team.  Alan Smith, attorney at the Grunsky Law Firm, will be leading the Chamber as its new Board...

Assemblymember Robert Rivas welcomes ideas for new laws

Assemblymember Robert Rivas will be accepting entries from the public for new laws, under his ‘There Ought to be a Law’ program. Rivas brought the program to his district in 2019, and for the third year, Rivas will review policy proposals from his constituents in...

Watsonville City Manager Recruitment Community Forum upcoming

Watsonville city council
What are the most important qualities and skills that a City Manager should have? The City of Watsonville wants to know what you think and will host a community forum as it searches for its next City Manager. The virtual forum is scheduled for...

Woman falls to death from cliff following Highway 1 crash

sirens
NORTH COAST—The 40-year-old Santa Cruz woman who fell to her death following a mysterious two-car crash Monday on the North Coast of Santa Cruz County has been identified as Wendy Edwards, according to Ashley Keehn of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators have...

Pajaro levee project takes another step forward

pajaro levee
WATSONVILLE—Voters who live in proximity to the Pajaro River levee system will soon decide on adding a special assessment to their property tax bill that would help fund the long-awaited Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project. The Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency (PRFMA) on Wednesday...

PHOTOS: E.A. Hall opens new field

E.A. Hall field
The mascot at E.A. Hall Middle School gets support from the school cheerleaders Thursday in a celebration of the opening of the school's new athletic field. City and school dignitaries took turns at the podium to pay thanks to those that helped complete the...
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Monterey County Sheriff: ‘Bomb’ was lost computer

A suspicious bag left leaning against a California Highway Patrol vehicle in Prunedale Monday—which prompted a response from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad...