WPD: Alleged gang member arrested for firearm violation
WATSONVILLE—An alleged Watsonville gang member was arrested Thursday, and a handgun was taken off the street following the service of a search warrant.
Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said officers from the Special Investigations Unit arrested Rigoberto Lopez, 28, for being a felon in possession...
Adult Education graduates 82 students | Grads 2021
WATSONVILLE—Jesus Morales and Wendy Ortega are among 82 students that graduated Thursday from Watsonville/Aptos/Santa Cruz Adult Education, earning high school diplomas, GEDs, clinical medical assistant and certified nursing certificates and U.S. citizenship, among other certifications.
Their stories are examples of the people who come to...
PVUSD bylaw changes would penalize absences, alter public comment
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of trustees on Wednesday took another step toward revamping its bylaws with the first reading of a series of recommended changes.
The trustees will vote on approving the changes during the June 9 meeting.
If approved, trustees who miss...
Photo: Watsonville Airport welcomes extra-large guest
A Bombardier Global Express 600 corporate jet sits on the tarmac at Watsonville Municipal Airport on May 21. Airplane aficionados said it is the largest aircraft to land at the airport since 2007 when a C-17 military transport jet touched down during an air...
Film festival to raise funds for two local bicycle organizations
For 20 years the Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) has been celebrating bicycles through art, film and music. Originating in New York, it has popped up in 100 cities across the globe, from Paris and Tokyo to Istanbul and Mexico City.
And now the festival is...
Save Our Shores urges Memorial Day visitors to keep beaches clean
The Save Our Shores (SOS) organization is encouraging everyone who visits local beaches this Memorial Day Weekend to be an “Ocean Hero.”
The environmental nonprofit asks visitors to leave beaches with all the items they brought with them, including trash.
SOS recommends to:
1) Bring...
Man caught burglarizing Watsonville business
WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man was arrested late Tuesday night after he was caught burglarizing a business on Airport Boulevard.
Gabriel Soto-Gonzalez, 41, was charged with burglary, vehicle theft and providing false ID to police. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $25,000...
10 dead, including gunman, in San Jose shooting
SAN JOSE—Nine people were killed by gunfire and the gunman killed himself following a mass shooting early Wednesday morning at the Valley Transportation Authority yard in San Jose.
At 6:34am, the suspect, Samuel Cassidy, 57, opened fire at the VTA light rail yard in San...
El Sistema plans summer music programs for PVUSD students
WATSONVILLE—Since 2017, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) has partnered with nonprofit El Sistema Santa Cruz/Pajaro Valley to bring music education and performance to local students.
During the pandemic, El Sistema has continued its work both virtually and in-person, with small cohorts of students signed...
Watsonville City Council approves utility rate increases
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday virtual meeting approved utility rate increases that will raise a typical single-family household’s bill by about $40 per month by 2026.
The increases were recommended through a rate study conducted by consultant Raftelis Financial Inc. that said they...
How Farmworkers Outlawed ‘El Cortito’ 50 Years Ago
For decades in the Salinas Valley, the short-handle hoe, known as “El Cortito,” was used for weeding and thinning rows of crops that kept...
