Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The seventh annual Santa Cruz Gives holiday crowdfunding campaign raised more than $1 million for local nonprofit organizations in 2021. The milestone was reached after the campaign doubled in size, featuring 80 nonprofits on its online platform. Individual donors, matching funds, challenge gifts...

A 40-foot Sequoia tree rolled into downtown Watsonville Tuesday morning as ordered by the City of Watsonville as the centerpiece of its annual holiday celebrations. The tree was lifted off a flatbed truck and hoisted into place in the plaza with the aid of a...

WATSONVILLE—Vanessa Quiroz-Carter was sworn in as the new representative for the Watsonville City Council's 2nd District at Tuesday night’s virtual meeting. Quiroz-Carter, a Watsonville native who most recently served on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission, said she was excited to continue the work of...

The Watsonville Film Festival will partner with CineLux Green Valley Cinemas to present the documentary film “Sanson and Me” Aug. 26 at 6pm. Award-winning filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes will participate in a post-screening Q&A with the audience. Watsonville-based actor Mario Velasquez, who appears in the film,...

Brianna Vasquez is a 13-year-old about to begin her 8th-grade year at Rolling Hills Middle School. As the days of her summer vacation wane and the academic year looms, many of her friends are enjoying their break. But on Thursday, Brianna was taking a different path....

A collection of books about birds, from birding and migration to backyard birding for beginners, is currently on display thanks to the staff at the Watsonville Public Library on Main Street.

WATSONVILLE—Two wacky sign situations in Watsonville have caught the attention of voters in the final week before the election. On the east side of the city by the Staff of Life Natural Foods grocery store, a pair of political signs for current District 7 City...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville City Councilman Aurelio Gonzalez on Tuesday announced his resignation from his District 2 seat because of a family emergency. In a letter emailed to reporters, Gonzalez said that because of “family circumstances” he would no longer “be able to perform my duties in representing...

Watsonville Police Officer Alex Zamora received an award Thursday for recovering 12 stolen cars, three of which were occupied.

A gunman at the Gilroy Garlic Festival killed a 6-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl and a 25-year-old man as the three-day food festival wrapped up for the weekend Sunday evening, July 28, according to police.