ICE agents arrest Watsonville man, family seeks answers
U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents on May 27 arrested a longtime Watsonville resident as he walked behind the Target store near the intersection of Harkins Slough Road and Ohlone Parkway.
The man’s nephew, who asked to be called Brandon, confirmed the arrest,...
‘Field of dreams’
When Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco was a student at Freedom Elementary School, she remembers running around the playing field, pock-marked as it was by holes and other signs of age and wear.
“I remember dreading it, because when we were done, my knees used to...
Flying the colors on Memorial Day
Continuing a local tradition of honoring Memorial Day, a section of Freedom Boulevard and area cemeteries were lined with over 300 flags Monday, thanks to the effort of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1716 and of the American Legion Post 121.
Local cemeteries were also...
Pajaro River Levee project at risk after Trump claws back some funding
President Donald Trump has taken millions of dollars already allocated to blue states—and reallocated the funding to red states—impacting a wide array of ongoing critical infrastructure projects, including the Pajaro River Flood Management Project.
In a press conference Thursday, U.S. Democratic Senators Alex Padilla and...
Watsonville City Council hears plans for Tiny Village
The Tiny Village project in the parking lot of the Westview Presbyterian Church is set to break ground at the end of May or in early June, and is expected to provide shelter for 34 homeless people.
Community Action Board (CAB), which will manage the...
Supervisors get look at revised budget
If the Trump administration moves forward with plans to make sweeping cuts to health and human services as it hammers out its current budget, it will have far-reaching and profound impacts nationwide.
This includes to Santa Cruz County, where one-third of the people who receive...
Adult school celebrates its graduates
A nearly packed Mello Center saw the first graduation of the season in Pajaro Valley Unified School District Thursday evening with 173 graduates of Watsonville/Aptos/Santa Cruz Adult Education crossing the stage to collect their diplomas, degrees and certificates.
In fields including high school diplomas, GEDs,...
Photo story: The circus is in town
Circus Alegria, a Las Vegas-based circus entertainment group that has been around since 1912, kicked off their 2025 performance Thursday evening in Watsonville. With their massive big top tent dominating the entrance to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, the shows will run Thursday through...
Photo story: History fair a success
A man gathers information at the table for the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Saturday during the Santa Cruz County History Fair at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple. Over 30 tables, from Boulder Creek and Scotts Valley, to Davenport, Capitola, Santa Cruz and Watsonville, filled...
Wharf debris, equipment recovery at Santa Cruz Wharf
The City of Santa Cruz joined forces with the U.S. Coast Guard and Power Engineering Construction Company to remove heavy equipment and wood debris...
