Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County will hire a company to handle the permitting process for residents rebuilding homes damaged or destroyed in the CZU August Lightning Complex fires.  The County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved the plan to hire Pleasanton-based engineering firm 4Leaf, Inc....

WATSONVILLE—After Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday moved most counties in California into the “Widespread” or purple tier of Covid-19 restrictions—saying he was pulling an “emergency brake” on efforts to reopen the state—school districts across the state followed suit. Pajaro Valley Unified School District was planning...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—For years, the annual “Nutcracker, Clara's Dream” was a winter holiday staple put on by the Santa Cruz Ballet Theater. With their own take of Tchaivovsky’s ballet, that was typically staged at the Santa Cruz Civic, Cabrillo College’s Crocker Theater and the...

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced that starting Saturday all non-essential businesses, travel and gatherings will be subject to a month-long curfew. Counties in the “Widespread,” or purple, tier of the state’s Covid-19 reopening plan, will have to close all non-essential businesses and cease all...

WATSONVILLE—For 10 years, Youth N.O.W. has tutored and empowered hundreds of students throughout the Pajaro Valley, providing an essential outlet for those struggling to pick up various subjects in class or finding a safe space to study after the bell rings. Now, after a sudden...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Today is Giving Tuesday, a worldwide generosity movement aiming to raise funds for nonprofits and communities. Every Tuesday after Thanksgiving, organizations, small businesses, schools and corporations come together to celebrate the event. Giving Tuesday began in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y and...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—In one of her final acts before her retirement at the end of the year, Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin on Tuesday officially certified the results from the 2020 presidential election. More than 86 percent of county voters—a total of 146,857—cast ballots...

WATSONVILLE—On Nov. 28, Watsonville joined the annual nationwide shopping movement known as Small Business Saturday, which aims to encourage shoppers to support businesses in their community. The event had a number of small stores at the East Lake Village Shopping Center opening for special...

Looking for places to shop for loved ones this holiday season? You don’t have to rely on Amazon or other large retailers—instead, look into small, locally-owned stores right here in the Pajaro Valley. Contact the stores directly, follow on social media and check out...

WATSONVILLE—Thanks in part to a massive surge in online sales, the City of Watsonville is adding roughly $1.7 million to its 2020-21 fiscal year budget. The allocation, unanimously approved by the City Council at Tuesday’s virtual meeting, means some departments will bring back positions originally...