Local News

APTOS—Siding construction is underway on The Hideout restaurant that was largely destroyed by fire in May 2019. Workers from Costa Bella Builders are behind the rebuild of the popular eatery nestled beneath a canopy of redwoods at 9051 Soquel Drive between Rio del Mar and...

APTOS—A group of business owners from the new Aptos Village complex gathered for a meeting in early March to discuss possible events and projects they wanted to do together. Their aim was to bring the community into the blooming hub.  But days later those plans...

WATSONVILLE—Like other nonprofits in Santa Cruz County, Watsonville Wetlands Watch has had to adapt to a new normal amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. When shelter-in-place restrictions went into effect in mid-March, the organization immediately started working on putting all of its programs and field trips...

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WATSONVILLE—Watsonville will have yet another tool that it could use to try to fix its housing shortage if the City Council follows the Planning Commission’s recommendations to approve wholesale changes to rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as “granny flats” or “granny...

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District will begin the year with distance learning for all students when classes begin on Aug. 17, a measure meant to keep students and staff safe from Covid-19 as the virus continues to spread throughout the state. PVUSD Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez...

WATSONVILLE—A 17-year-old Salinas male was arrested Sunday for driving while intoxicated after a crash that injured his three passengers, California Highway Patrol officer Julieta Trenado said. According to Trenado, the driver was traveling in a gray Nissan Altima west on Beach Road approaching Clearwater Lane...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A group of local transportation organizers is hoping that, within the span of a decade, a passenger rail will run from Watsonville to Santa Cruz, making stops at hubs where busses will whisk passengers to further destinations.  For commuters who wish to eschew...

I passed through miles of Watsonville’s agricultural fields today under gray, overcast skies. The strawberry harvest seemed to be going full blast, with loaded up flatbed trucks packing the fruit off to warehouses. Scores of workers dotted the fields on either side of San...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz METRO received a $20,560,417 federal grant on July 9 to help deal with the coronavirus crisis.  The money comes from the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which directs the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  The funds target operating...