Local News

WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the construction of an 80-unit affordable housing complex between Atkinson Lane and Brewington Avenue that could break ground early next year. The project, a part of a multiphase development plan approved some two decades...

WATSONVILLE—Just hours after a group of roughly 150 nurses amassed in front of Watsonville Community Hospital to drum up public support and stop its closure, they received a welcome bit of news. The Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project (PVHDP) has reached a preliminary agreement to...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees heard a budget report Wednesday for financial activity that has occurred from July 1-Oct. 31, which shows the district is able to meet its obligations for the next three years. This so-called positive certification is a...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Fire Department will soon take on a new firefighter/paramedic after he completed the 16-week training academy at Watsonville Fire Station No. 2 on Airport Boulevard on Dec. 2. Adrian Chairez, of Santa Cruz, and three other trainees were officially presented with their badges at...

WATSONVILLE—Residents who reported a strong odor in parts of Watsonville recently helped county officials create an “odor map” and track down the source of the smell, Santa Cruz County spokesman Jason Hoppin said. According to Hoppin, the odor that some likened to sewage and others...

Pajaro Valley nonprofit Farm Discovery at Live Earth is inviting the community to celebrate another successful year of farm-based education for local youth. The organization aims to empower young people and their families to build and sustain healthy food, farming, social and natural systems. Children...

APTOS—A local church kickstarted an initiative recently which has raised enough money to fund more than a million meals for Santa Cruz County residents. Citing “rising anger in our society,” Twin Lakes Church in Aptos decided to launch its “Acts of Kindness” initiative. The project...

WATSONVILLE—A 61-year-old woman was killed on Dec. 3 while crossing the street at the intersection of Rodriguez and West Beach streets in downtown Watsonville. Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn identified the victim as Joan Alameda of Watsonville. Watsonville Police Department Sgt. Mike Ridgeway...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to repeal and completely replace the county’s ordinances governing wireless communication facilities that allow coverage for cell phones and the internet. The new rules essentially speed up the permitting process...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A large group of workers rallied at the Santa Cruz County building Tuesday morning, before telling the County Board of Supervisors they are prepared to strike if ongoing contract negotiations do not go their way. Officials for SEIU Local 521, the union representing...