Local News

Construction will begin in June on a 34-unit community of small temporary dwellings based at Westview Presbyterian Church in Watsonville, after the Monterey County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved agreements to build and manage the facility. The housing navigation center, which has been named “Recurso...

Steven Allee of Santa Cruz rolled onto the staging area at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville one Friday afternoon, ready to roar around the dirt track in his stock car against several other racers. While the April 12 race marked the fifth year he has taken...

For the second year in a row, local high school seniors got a little help in dressing up for their senior proms. Some came with their parents, and some on their own to browse among free dresses and suits thanks to the efforts of Luna y...

Aptos resident Laura Dover-Smith was walking on a trail in Watsonville’s sloughs on her lunch break one sunny Wednesday, an activity she tries to do daily. She says the walk affords her views of wildlife, but also gives her a peaceful respite from the bustling...

Longtime school board member, coach, mentor and businessman in the Pajaro Valley Willie Yahiro was remembered by close to 250 people Saturday at the Henry J. Mello Center. The event included prayer and homily by Rev. Dan Hoffman, scripture read by  Brooke Uchida, opening hymn...

After working behind the badge of Watsonville Police for nearly three decades, officer Lee Katich waved goodbye Tuesday. “It’s been quite a good ride,” Katich said during a festive farewell party Tuesday evening that included Katich’s wife and two children and a roomful of officers...

Monterey County Sheriff’s investigators have linked a March 3 mass shooting in King City to the Feb. 4 killing of two cousins in Soledad.  Law enforcement officials recently served search warrants related to both incidents. On March 3, 11 people were shot at a birthday party...

The agency responsible for the rebuild of the Pajaro River Levee has completed an environmental assessment for Reach 6 of the project, and is seeking public input before finalizing it. Reach 6 runs from the Corralitos Bridge to Green Valley Road. The U.S. Army Corps of...

In a weed-strewn, vacant lot on Airport Boulevard Tuesday, Bryan Hilgeman was busy around his makeshift tarp dwelling where he lives, along with about 40 people in the unsanctioned homeless camp. He says he’s been unsheltered since his wife died two years ago.  When the city...

Several people gathered in a large meeting room at Watsonville Public Library recently, where they delved into the cultural significance of Japanese paper lanterns, and then got a chance to make their own. The free, one-day, 3-hour event provided attendees with wood popsicle sticks, paper,...