Local News

WATSONVILLE—April Bennett was only about 2 years old when she went up on a stage with her father, Steve Bennett for the very first time. Steve was in the house band at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton for many years, and April would often join...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Covid-19 vaccine does not alter a person’s DNA, contain a microchip or cause infertility, says Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel. At Thursday’s virtual weekly press conference Newel debunked those myths about the vaccination and several others in hopes that...

Watsonville police detain a man Saturday on West Beach Street near the City Plaza on suspicion of armed robbery. WPD Sgt. Mike Ridgway said the suspect tried to rob several businesses at knifepoint on the 500 block of Main Street around 11:30am, however, he...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday meeting overhauled its tax rates on cannabis businesses, a move the majority of council members said would make the city's businesses more competitive with those in neighboring jurisdictions. The changes will cut taxes on retail cannabis businesses in...

WATSONVILLE—The County of Santa Cruz Department of Public Works has announced that Green Valley Road in Watsonville, from Celia Drive to Paulsen Road, will be subject to daily closure between 8:30am and 4:30pm, starting Wednesday and running through April 14, weather permitting. The road will...

WATSONVILLE—After a year of being shuttered, Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) has once again fully opened its gallery to the public. On April 9, the organization welcomed the public back with the start of its annual fundraising exhibit, “Take Aways: Art to Go!” Now in its...

WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help from the public in gaining information about a vehicle crash early Tuesday on the outskirts of Watsonville. Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn in a Facebook post said that sometime between 4-6am there was a solo-vehicle...

WATSONVILLE—A small group on Monday will begin a recall against Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Georgia Acosta, an effort spurred by her attempt to oust district superintendent Michelle Rodriguez in January. The group—called The Committee to Recall Georgia Acosta—is made up of educators, community...

PRUNEDALE—A 32-year-old Gilroy woman died in a solo-vehicle crash early Monday in Prunedale. California Highway Patrol officer Jessica Medueño said the woman was driving a 2007 Mazda 3 sedan westbound on Highway 156 at Cathedral Oak Road near Castroville around 6:30am. For unknown reasons she lost...

WATSONVILLE—On May 22 the Watsonville Buddhist Temple will virtually present Hiroshi Kashiwagi’s two-act play “The Betrayed.”  “The Betrayed” centers around a couple living at the Japanese-American concentration camp near Tule Lake, California in the 1940s. They become at odds when the controversial Loyalty Oath is...