Local News

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s newest charter school has moved into its new permanent location in the old Gottschalks building at 407 Main St., three years after opening at E.A. Hall Middle School. All of Watsonville Prep’s classes—spanning from transitional kindergarten to fourth grade—are now held in the new...

WATSONVILLE—A year’s worth of work came to fruition on Oct. 1 as the third and largest mosaic that is part of the ongoing Watsonville Brillante project was installed at the Civic Plaza Parking Garage. The piece, “Hermanita,” was designed by Juan Fuentes, a graduate of...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A man who police say stabbed his girlfriend to death at an apartment on Clifford Avenue in July was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail Thursday after being extradited from Arizona. Alberto Scalant, 33, is being held without bail. He has been charged...

Roughly $4.1 million in grants were awarded to health care centers across the Central Coast.  The grants were announced on Sept. 29 by Rep. Jimmy Panetta. The money will support healthcare for underserved communities, and funds will be funneled primarily toward efforts to expand Covid-19...

A California Highway Patrol officer surveys the damage where a Chevrolet 1500 pickup slammed into a Buick LaCrosse on San Andreas Road Thursday. CHP officer Fred Smith said the male driver of the pickup, that was traveling south of San Andreas Road, appeared to...

Artists in Santa Cruz County are setting the stage for the annual Open Studios Art Tour which runs three consecutive weekends. After being mothballed last year during the pandemic, this year will offer the public a sweeping array of art, from paintings, photographs, assemblage and...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Office of Education (COE) has launched a dashboard that summarizes Covid-19 testing results across schools countywide. The dashboard is a partnership with school districts, Inspire Diagnostics and the Santa Cruz County Department of Public Health, COE spokesman Nick Ibarra...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville City Councilman Lowell Hurst has held office on and off since first being elected to the council in 1988. Typically, the seasoned politician takes fellow council members and the attendees of Watsonville City Council meetings back in time, and provides perspective on community...

CORRALITOS—The Watsonville High School Class of 1965 held its 55th-year reunion on Sept. 25 after postponing the celebration last year due to the pandemic. Around 60 people, some from as far away as Arizona, Davis, Sacramento and Southern California, shared stories, jokes and a barbecue...

WATSONVILLE—An effort to recall Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Georgia Acosta has failed after organizers were unable to gather the roughly 2,200 signatures needed before Monday's deadline to put it before voters. Efforts to recall Acosta began early this year after the Area II...