Local News

WATSONVILLE—A man was seriously injured late Saturday night after he crashed his vehicle on Beach Road and was hurled into an agriculture field. The bizarre chain of events started around 10:30pm when the man, who has not been named, was involved in a hit-and-run crash...

Editor's note: This story was updated from a previous version. There were at least 56 fatalities on the highways and 709 DUI arrests across California over the New Year’s holiday, California Highway Patrol officer Sam Courtney said. The totals are a steep climb from last year’s...

SACRAMENTO—California Gov. Gavin Newsom named Secretary of State Alex Padilla California’s U.S. Senator to fill the term being vacated by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Padilla will thus become the first Latino U.S. Senator to represent California, Newsom’s office said. “The son of Mexican immigrants—a cook...

Here are photos from the Pajaronian team that defined this year. Coronavirus closures Community comes together For the record Hot topics Saying Goodbye Bright spots

WATSONVILLE—A 19-year-old Watsonville man, armed with a loaded handgun, was arrested Wednesday following a brief but dramatic foot chase. The incident unfolded on Dawson Street near Marchant Street and the Pajaro River Levee around 1:30pm, Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said. Gabriel Villanueva was...

Every January, the new year brings with it dozens of new laws that impact day-to-day life in many different ways. Here we bring you a few we find notable, from criminal justice reform to animal welfare to workplace rules. From inmate to firefighter During the massive...

The year 2020 will go down as one of the most challenging in modern history. The pandemic affected everyone in one way or another; some of us lost loved ones, and everyone dealt with isolation and stress. Racial unrest tore through the country following the...

It was a year dominated by news of the Covid-19 pandemic, since the news began to roll in on March 12. The crisis has hit businesses, schools, neighborhoods and people everywhere in the world. There are few vestiges of life that have not yet...

I started working for the Pajaronian in February 1997. As a news gatherer, that translates to a lot of blank pages being filled over the years with news and photos of what’s going on. Of those 23 years as a journalist, 2020 most assuredly...

It is nearly impossible to talk about 2020 and not mention Covid-19, as the pesky novel coronavirus overtook our lives in March and has not yet loosened its grip. However, there were other stories, events and tragedies that managed to wholly affect our community even...