Local News

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police Department is warning residents about a scam in which a caller pretends to be a police officer and asks for a callback to discuss “confidential legal matters.”  The caller reportedly falsely claimed to be WPD Sgt. Michael Ridgway. The person who received the call...

NORTH COAST—The 40-year-old Santa Cruz woman who fell to her death following a mysterious two-car crash Monday on the North Coast of Santa Cruz County has been identified as Wendy Edwards, according to Ashley Keehn of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators have...

WATSONVILLE—Congressman Jimmy Panetta visited Watsonville Monday to announce the first payments of the expanded Child Tax Credit included in President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).  Starting July 15, eligible parents will receive their first monthly payment of up to $300 per child under...

SAN FRANCISCO—The family of an 8-year-old girl who was allegedly raped, tortured and murdered by a 15-year-old suspect is urging the California Supreme court to overturn a law that could allow him to walk free when he is 25. A.J. Gonzalez, now 21, is facing...

A wildland fire broke out in trees and brush flanking northbound Highway 1 north of Buena Vista Drive Monday in Watsonville. The 1pm blaze sent up massive billows of gray and brown smoke that were visible around Watsonville and drew a heavy response from multiple...

SANTA CRUZ—An Aptos woman who stabbed her husband to death during a domestic fight in 2019 pleaded guilty in Santa Cruz County Superior Court on May 18 to involuntary manslaughter. Amanda Owens also admitted to using a deadly weapon during the crime. She is set to...

Murry Schekman recently retired from a career in education that spanned nearly a half-century. The former Watsonville High School principal has now penned a book on school leadership, using the experience gleaned from his decades of experience. “It’s a new chapter for me,” he said.  Schekman’s educational...

Cabrillo Stage’s diverse cast, crew and choir are bringing the musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” to life. The production, opening July 6, is based on the novel by Victor Hugo and contains songs from the 1996 Disney film. Set in the Paris cathedral, the...

WATSONVILLE—The outside of the historic Tuttle Mansion is currently adorned with electric Christmas lights for the first time ever. While the iconic Watsonville home, designed by architect William Weeks, seems like the perfect structure for holiday decorations, there is a reason why it hasn’t undergone...

WATSONVILLE—Major work is underway at the Valley Public Cemetery to make way for hundreds of garden crypts. The move is part of the Pajaro Valley Public Cemetery District’s needed expansion to create more land for burials, said Bob Tanner, Pajaro Valley Public Cemetery District Board...