Local News

Author Olga Rosales Salinas remembers clearly the folklore and myths she heard growing up in Watsonville. The Mexican legends of La Llorona and El Cucuy in particular stuck with her; stories themed around fear and often used to teach difficult lessons.  “I’ve often thought about what...

Tarmo Hannula: Christmas Eve 2019. The year is winding down. Last minute shopping, for some, is now moving at the speed of light. Traffic is more hectic. • A series of 14 original paintings by Capitola artist Ed Penniman are now showing at Ella’s at the Airport...

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday is expected to announce the closure of all beaches and state parks starting Friday, multiple national news agencies reported late Wednesday night. The news comes days after Gov. Newsom expressed concern over numerous photos of people crowding beaches throughout the...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The OptumServe Covid-19 testing site at Ramsay Park will be moving to the county facility at 500 Westridge Drive in Watsonville on Wednesday.   “I’d like to thank the City of Watsonville Parks and Rec for their partnership the last 21 months, allowing us...

Santa Cruz County is moving to the red tier of the state’s Covid-19 reopening plan starting Wednesday, as predicted last week.  That means several indoor business operations can reopen starting Wednesday, including indoor dining, aquariums, museums, dance studios, gyms and movie theaters, all of which have...

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved a three-year contract for its new superintendent. Heather Contreras’ contract shows her start date of May 1. Her base pay will be $242,000 per year, with a 2% raise after one year,...

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...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Police Department is asking for help from the community to find a driver who struck and seriously injured a woman early Sunday morning before fleeing. The crash occurred just before 5 a.m. on the 1000 block of Freedom Boulevard. The victim, who is in...

Around 50 men slipped into pairs of bright red and pink high heels Friday for a quick dash around the block in downtown Santa Cruz during the 2023 Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event. In its 11th year, the annual fun-filled gathering originated as...