Local News

Watsonville Fire Capt. Matt Ryan (right) pays thanks to fellow firefighters from multiple agencies, various police, family and friends Tuesday morning at a farewell breakfast on his final shift as a firefighter. Born in 1962 at the old Watsonville Community Hospital, Ryan said he...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Gyms, barbershops, beauty salons, places of worship and shopping malls across Santa Cruz County will all have to close their indoor services on Tuesday, county health officials announced Monday. Retail and existing outdoor restaurant operations are unaffected by the new county health orders...

WATSONVILLE—Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 24 revealed a new temporary housing program that aims to help agricultural workers across the state better protect themselves and their families during the Covid-19 pandemic. Housing for the Harvest will offer temporary hotel housing to workers who need to...

WATSONVILLE—Mystery novelist and former Managing Editor of the Pajaronian Michael Wallace has released the eighth installment of his ongoing mystery series. “True to You in My Way” follows Wallace’s recurring main character Quill Gordon, a private investigator who was brought to the small Sierra Nevada...

I took the METRO 69A bus from Santa Cruz into Watsonville Thursday and then again in reverse to get home at the end of the day. Riding the bus nowadays is a far different experience than it was prior to March 17. There are...

Applications for Committee on Policing and Social Equity open WATSONVILLE—The City is forming an AD-HOC Committee on Policing and Social Equity, composed of City Council members, the Police Chief, City Manager, City Staff and community members, aiming to facilitate conversations that will inform the future...

WATSONVILLE—A dragon is coming to life in Watsonville.  Thanks to the efforts of Watsonville artist Kathleen Crocetti and a team of historians, designers, a benefactor and others, a 22-foot mosaic-covered water dragon is in the works and will soon rest atop a non-traditional Chinese style...

Construction work moves forward on the new athletic field at Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville. The $12,898,450 project, largely paid for with Measure L funds, is moving ahead despite coronavirus shutdowns and a chance of no students being on campus in the fall....

Editor’s note: This is the first entry of a weekly four-part series about the Pajaro Valley’s Japanese community. The series will culminate on Aug. 14, coinciding with this year’s celebration of the Obon Festival, a cultural and religious Japanese event honoring one’s ancestors.  By Hugh...

Grocery shopping is a different experience than what it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. Between long lines and being in close-quarters, navigating an indoor store can be a challenging and not altogether comfortable experience.  This is why many farmers markets across the Monterey Bay campaigned...