Local News

Thousands of people showed up for the 35th annual Cinco de Mayo Festival in downtown Watsonville Sunday for live music, food, dancing and arts and crafts. Hosted by Fiestas Patrias, the free seven-hour event unfolded on a closed section of Main Street, across the plaza...

Prominent farmworker activist and organizer Dolores Huerta joined several other speakers at a public meeting in Watsonville Saturday to raise awareness about the dangers of agricultural pesticide use on farmworkers, children, consumers and residents throughout Santa Cruz county.  Childhood cancer rates in Santa Cruz county...

This story has been updated with quotes from PVUSD Board Vice President Misty Navarro, and a response from Trustee Gabe Medina. The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday will consider a proposal to censure Trustee Gabe Medina. When a body of elected...

Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah joined two young people at the flag pole at the Office of Education headquarters on Encinal Street in Santa Cruz Friday morning, where they attached a Pride flag that will fly with the U.S. and the...

In concert with scores of protests, marches and rallies around the globe on May Day—or International Worker's Day—Watsonville and Santa Cruz took to the streets in solidarity with workers, and to show displeasure with the Trump administration.  Waving signs and chanting theirdisapproval of the president’s...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took a first look at this year’s finances in advance of budget hearings in June. The $1.23 billion budget proposal is $176 million less than last year’s budget, and has not yet taken into account possible...

ON TRACK The Watsonville Union High track team hits the field for a competition on March 13, 1955. (Sam Vestal/Pajaronian archives)

Teams from schools around the Monterey Bay, Central Valley and San Francisco Bay area tested their skills in engineering, robotics and electronics—as well as their business acumen—at Watsonville High School on  April 26. The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Monterey Bay Regional Remotely Operated Vehicles...

The city of Watsonville is inviting the community to a workshop focused on planning for future passenger rail service and trail improvements in and around the Watsonville area.  The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) is hosting the workshop as part of its ongoing...

EARTH WATCH Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco gathers information from the folks at the Pajaro Valley Climate Action table April 27 in Watsonville Plaza during a celebration of Earth Day. More than 45 organizations staged the three-hour, family-friendly event that included hands-on activities, including information...