Local News

SANTA CRUZ—A man and a woman were arrested Friday for a host of charges, from possession of a stolen firearm and probation violation to child endangerment. George Rivera, commander of the Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team’s Gang Task Force, with the assistance of Santa Cruz...

Editor’s note: This is the second entry in a series of interviews with candidates running for office in the upcoming local elections. Interviewees will include candidates for the Watsonville City Council, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, the Pajaro Valley Water...

WATSONVILLE—A candidate for Watsonville City Council is calling for Councilwoman Ari Parker to resign for abuse of power after she challenged his standing as a teacher on his candidate statement, and asked City officials to scrub his designation. But Parker is saying that she...

WATSONVILLE—The major renovation of the Watsonville High School cafeteria is moving ahead, with floor tile installation near completion and last minute touches being done. General contractor Avila Construction is heading up the project, estimated at $3.3 million. It is the school’s final allocation from Measure...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville High School community is reeling from the loss of four staff members that occurred over the past nine months. History and economics teacher Abel Mejia died on Sept. 16, and his brother Ruben Mejia, a biology teacher, died on Sept. 5.  Their deaths came after...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Since the start of the CZU Lightning Complex fires, county residents and community supporters both locally and beyond have stepped forward to meet the needs of CZU Lightning Complex fire evacuees. Effective Friday at 4 p.m., the 1082 Emeline Ave. warehouse in Santa...

WATSONVILLE—When Covid-19 shelter-in-place restrictions hit Santa Cruz County in March, the Eighth Annual Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) was one of the first large events to be shut down. Executive Director Consuelo Alba and her team were forced to cancel the multiple film screenings, activities and...

Do you have a recent photograph you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to [email protected] or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the name...

This week, communities across the U.S. are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, a month dedicated to the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The origins of the observance began with President Lyndon Johnson, who...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville City Councilman Lowell Hurst is being criticized for taunting a community member during a Sept. 8 virtual meeting. Hurst in the video recording of the meeting could be seen patting himself on the back, mocking comments made by a Watsonville resident during public comment....