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Watsonville
January 18, 2026

As election day draws near, options to cast vote aplenty

Santa Cruz County voting
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—With just one week until election day, Santa Cruz County voters still have plenty of options of what to do with their completed ballot. It’s important to know that it is not necessary to mark every section. Leaving an option blank—or even marking...

Suspects flee after carjacking U-Haul truck

Two suspects are at large after they stabbed the driver of a U-Haul truck and fled in the vehicle Friday.

Woman arrested for murder

An Aptos woman was arrested Sunday after she allegedly stabbed her husband to death, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dee Baldwin said.

Restaurants, shops can operate outdoors with city approval

watsonville outdoor business
WATSONVILLE—Restaurants and retail stores in city limits can now operate outdoors thanks to an emergency order signed by City Manager Matt Huffaker on Friday. Businesses looking to take advantage of the alfresco option would need to receive approval of a Temporary Covid-19 Encroachment Agreement from...

County Health’s vaccines now available to certain occupation groups

Farmworkers Watsonville covid-19 vaccinations
Covid-19 vaccinations for Santa Cruz County residents are being expanded to include workers in education and childcare, emergency services, and food and agriculture industries, the county announced today. Eligibility will be based on occupation definitions from the California Department of Public Health, according to the...

School leaders set to discuss return to classroom

PVUSD Covid-19 plan
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—School district superintendents from 11 districts throughout Santa Cruz County will hold a town hall meeting Thursday to talk about bringing younger students back into the classroom. The discussion, led by Dr. Steven McGee of Dignity Health and Dr. Nanette Mickiewicz of Dominican...

PVUSD seniors opt for virtual, drive-thru ceremony

PVUSD
WATSONVILLE—Graduation for Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s 1,179 seniors this year will look drastically different than it has at any time in its history. That is because the school closures imposed April 1 by state education officials have required students to learn from home for...

Scotts Valley mayor asks for city to be ‘reunified’ in upcoming redistricting

Santa Cruz County redistricting
A decade after Scotts Valley was split in two by redistricting, that city could be “reunified” under a proposal introduced to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. The proposal is among several recommendations the board is considering as the county redraws its supervisorial...

Watsonville businesses keep serving

In Watsonville today my wife Sarah and I stopped in at Monterey Bay Caterers, 152 West Lake Ave. Owner Ken Schwan helped me preorder two take out dinners a few days ago—their beef Wellington and a chicken Cordon Bleu. Ken said you simply take...

Police find missing Watsonville girl

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police on Thursday afternoon found the 12-year-old Watsonville girl that ran away from home Tuesday evening. WPD found Mary Guadalupe Curiel Lopez at Callaghan Park around 2 p.m. "She is safe and we're speaking to her now," WPD said through its Twitter account. She was reported...
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New leadership, shared priorities: Investing in the future of public safety

As we begin a new year, I want to reflect on the direction of public safety in Watsonville and the leadership helping guide that...