Local News

On Tuesday afternoon, Jana Tenant was in her backyard in the Bay Village senior community of Watsonville, a place she calls her “sanctuary.” But on this day—like many others recently—that sanctum was beset by construction noise. The rhythmic pounding from Bridge Street is from the ongoing...

The two men who were shot and killed Oct. 4 on the 700 block of Carlton Road on the outskirts of Watsonville have been identified as Jeremiah Rios Aguilera and Giovanni Aburto Lopez, both 21 and both of Watsonville. Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s detectives believe...

Two men were shot and killed early Friday morning on the 700 block of Carlton Road on the outskirts of Watsonville. Santa Cruz County Sheriff's spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said deputies were dispatched to a report of two people suffering from gunshot wounds around 12:43am. Upon...

The Bay/Porter onramp to southbound Highway 1 in Soquel has been shut down as part of the ongoing project to construct north and southbound auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder improvements on Highway 1 between the Bay Avenue/Porter Street and State Park Drive.  “As a reminder, starting...

As voters prepare to fill in their ballots for the Nov. 5 election, they are not just casting their vote for President of the United States. They are also faced with a large array of candidates and local ballot initiatives that can seem daunting....

After decades of floods that devastated the communities of Pajaro and Watsonville—and flooded hundreds of acres of farmland—a group of local, state and federal lawmakers gathered near the banks of Corralitos Creek Wednesday to break ground on the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project,...

Several candidates tossed their hats in the ring in early 2024 when Zach Friend announced his departure from the District 2 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. The top two vote-getters were Kim De Serpa, with 25.2% of the vote, and Brown...

A fire at Bamboo Giant on Freedom Boulevard early Tuesday afternoon damaged a structure, spread into the neighboring field and closed the road in both directions. According to CalFire spokesman Tony Akin, the blaze broke out just past noon. Firefighters were met with towering flames...

A Watsonville man arrested by Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Sept. 3 is suspected of using social media to contact a minor with the intent of sex. Luis Salas, 35, was charged with false imprisonment, human trafficking, kidnapping, contacting a minor with the intent...

Watsonville artist Elizabeth Williams will show her latest artworks in a new exhibit  at Fruition Brewing in Watsonville.  "Folk Art, Assemblage Dolls and Painted Cut-Outs," will feature around 50 works of painted wood sculptures, assemblage, paintings on wood and more.  “This show came about because I...