Local News

WATSONVILLE—The California Highway Patrol was joined by Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies and Watsonville Police in recovering a reported stolen SUV on Holohan Road in Watsonville Monday evening. The Chevy Suburban, with a trailer attached, was reportedly stolen over the weekend in Watsonville. Police...

WATSONVILLE—When asked how he and his wife got their start in education, Lowell Hurst responded with a modest, self-deprecating answer synonymous with the longtime politician and educator. “Some people suggested, well, ‘Wendy, you’re bilingual, you’ve got a teaching credential, and, Lowell, we’re really not sure...

WATSONVILLE—Around 70 people gathered at Jalisco Restaurant on Wednesday to kick off the campaign for the proposed half-cent sales tax measure that will go before voters in the Nov. 8 midterm election. Measure R—placed on the ballot by Watsonville City Council in June—would raise the...

WATSONVILLE—With two seats on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District up for election, the makeup of the board could see a shift as political newcomers Natalain Schwartz and Olivia Flores challenge incumbents Kim De Serpa and Jennifer Schacher, respectively. Two seats—occupied by Daniel Dodge Jr....

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Evacuation “will be necessary” for the people living along Corralitos and Salsipuedes creeks as Santa Cruz County braces for a second major storm in less than a week, officials said Tuesday. “We are letting people living in those areas know that, in all...

Smoke. Ugh! These awful fires have been going on since Aug. 16. Now they have a grip on California, Oregon and Washington — the entire west coast. From what I understand, most of the smoke drifting over the Central Coast is from the Creek...

He was only 6 years old, but Glenn Church vaguely remembers the construction of the power plant in Moss Landing, which was being built not far from where he grew up. “I recall seeing those stacks go up… it was a big deal,” he said....

WATSONVILLE—Lizz Weihrauch knows firsthand the transformative power of music. Twenty-three years ago, Weihrauch was a single mother looking for a way to introduce her son, who was born with Down syndrome, to music. They tried out a number of programs and classes, searching for the...

Weather forecasters are warning of strong winds coming later this week. With the wave of wildland fires that have plagued California for weeks, firefighters are keeping a wary eye on the change in weather, which will also usher in bumped up temperatures as well....

WATSONVILLE—A husband and wife duo, who together spent more than six decades in education and several more years in public service and volunteerism, has been given this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award by the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture. Lowell Hurst, who has served...