Local News

Watsonville Fire Battalion Chief Almita Schaefer hung up her helmet June 4 on her final day as a firefighter with Watsonville Fire Department.      The Watsonville native has spent her adult life helping others, a reflection of how her family brought her up.  After attending the now...

The City of Watsonville invites the public to celebrate America's 250th anniversary with a full day of community activities, and events.  The day begins July 4 with the Spirit of Watsonville Parade at 12:30pm that runs along Main Street from Patrick's Church, 721 Main St.,...

As summer edges in, the folks at Corralitos Market & Sausage Co. and Freedom Meat Lockers are dealing with rising meat prices as the industry and customers across the nation adjust to higher costs, soaring gas prices and more. “I feel like the prices have...

Thousands of people lined Pacific Avenue late Sunday morning, many dressed in rainbow colors and waving flags, as they watched the annual Pride Parade. Santa Cruz Pride is the largest LGBTQ+ event on the Central Coast and the third-oldest annual Pride festival in California. Marching in...

“Threads of Grief, Threads of Love” is the current show at Resource Center for Nonviolence made up of 36 handmade quilts that honor 722  infants killed in Gaza before their first birthday.  A community gathering was held May 29 to kick off the exhibit, spearheaded...

Eight bicyclists rolled into Watsonville Monday afternoon on the second stop of the annual Fire Velo bike ride.  Their weeklong journey started in San Francisco and will wrap up in Santa Monica on June 6. Fire Velo is a national cycling organization that promotes physical and...

Early results giving Monterey County District 2 Supervisor incumbent Glenn Church a commanding 71% lead over challenger Ramon Gomez were enough for Gomez to concede the race late Tuesday. In a text message to The Pajaronian, Gomez thanked his family, supporters, volunteers, donors and community...

Updated Thursday June 4 at 6pm Across Santa Cruz County elections for state and federal representation Tuesday night, there are few surprises, and a few expected results. As of Thursday afternoon, incumbent Rep. Jimmy Panetta led the 19th Congressional District race with 58.5% of the vote....

This story was updated June 4 at 6pm Soon after the polls closed Tuesday night, a group of roughly two-dozen supporters who had gathered in the Slice Project pizzeria on Main Street cheered when the first results came in. Their candidate, Tony Nuñez, had captured a...

If there is one place in Santa Cruz County where World Cup fever is expected to burn brightest, it may be Watsonville. “Soccer in Watsonville is extraordinarily unique,” Watsonville Parks and Recreation Director Jason Hall said during a countywide World Cup kickoff press conference on...