Local News

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday night approved a slew of changes to the city’s cannabis rules. Along with allowing three dispensaries within city limits and quadrupling the maximum square footage for cultivation, the council also implemented a so-called equity program and created a pre-application...

Emergency officials deal with a crash on Pajaro Circle Monday where a man driving an SUV hit a woman carrying a 1-year-old child after she reportedly stepped out from between parked cars while carrying the child.

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police have arrested a Pajaro Valley Unified School District student who they say was threatening to commit a shooting at a school.  Neither district officials nor police are providing any information about the suspect due to their age. Also unclear is which school was...

WATSONVILLE—A federal judge on Wednesday approved the sale of Watsonville Community Hospital to the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District (PVHD), ending the chapter of a story in which the facility was at imminent risk of closure, and beginning another of local ownership. Judge Elaine Hammond of...

Community involvement in the Cabrillo College name change continued at the Watsonville campus on June 28. In an open forum, speakers explained how the name Aptos has come to symbolize privilege and exclusion, despite its origins in indigenous language and culture. Aptos had previously appeared to...

SANTA CRUZ—Based on updated information and in response to concerns from the commercial Dungeness crab fleet, including written requests from Port Associations to further delay, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham has delayed the start date for the California Dungeness...

Tony Nuñez: On a tear-filled night, Watsonville councilwomen Rebecca Garcia and Trina Coffman-Gomez were sworn in as mayor and vice-mayor, respectivley, Tuesday. Garcia, a Watsonville native who has more than 30 years of experience in politics, replaced Francisco "Paco" Estrada. Estrada will continue on the council...

BOULDER CREEK—The 18-year-old who was killed Saturday at a party at a Boulder Creek residence—Rowan Parham—was described as a man who loved his friends and family, a sentiment that was returned by the people who knew him. “Anyone that knew Rowan, knew that he was...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The county’s tourist hotspots—along with its restaurants and hotels—can expect a slight uptick in business this summer from Californians seeking to hit the road for short road trips, according to a survey released Wednesday by Visit Santa Cruz County (VSCC). This prediction is...