Local News

WATSONVILLE—On Wednesday the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast (GSCCC) announced that it is extending its Cookie Program until April 18, and will reopen some traditional troop cookie booths across the region. The news comes as much of the state moves from the purple tier...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council will have a public hearing on May 25 concerning proposed utilities rate increases over the next five years, a cost city staff says is needed in order to make several upgrades to ailing infrastructure. The new rates would mean a typical...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees late Wednesday agreed to not pay an attorney fee racked up by trustee Georgia Acosta during a meeting on Jan. 29. In making the decision, the board agreed that Acosta, who was then board president, went...

The Watsonville Buddhist Temple (WBT) is one of the Pajaro Valley’s oldest institutions, having served as a center for both religious worship and community service since 1906. Founded by immigrants who arrived in the Pajaro Valley toward the end of the 19th century, the temple...

CENTRAL COAST—Rain and hail gave the Central Coast a dash of badly needed precipitation over the past week—with a hint more rain set for this weekend—but officials are still warning of a critically dry year if rain clouds don’t rally before the start of...

WATSONVILLE—Monterey Bay Caterers, a long-standing business in the Pajaro Valley which operated as a catering business and a restaurant, is for sale. Owner Ken Schwan said a combination of things led to his decision. He’ll be 64 next month, and his recent motorcycle crash that...

WATSONVILLE—The special education program at Ohlone Elementary School is facing major changes next year after Pajaro Valley Unified School District shuffled teachers and services at the school. The school currently has three separate programs for its special ed students, the first of which is a...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday meeting overhauled its tax rates on cannabis businesses, a move the majority of council members said would make the city's businesses more competitive with those in neighboring jurisdictions. The changes will cut taxes on retail cannabis businesses in...

This summer, the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) will celebrate its 25th Anniversary.  While the museum has been shuttered for most of the pandemic, staff has stayed connected to the community through outdoor exhibits, social media engagement and other projects. No one...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a four-part strategy to deal with the county’s homeless crisis, an ambitious three-year plan that has the goal of reducing by 50 percent the number of households experiencing homelessness by 2024. The...