Local News

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police have arrested a 17-year-old City of Watsonville employee on sexual battery and false imprisonment charges involving at least two teen girls that allegedly occurred in 2017, prior to his employment with the city, spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said.  The suspect, who is not being...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously voted to delay a decision on how to resume classes in August, to give district officials time to investigate all of their options. Still undetermined is which risk level the district will use...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz METRO has increased its passenger capacity by 50% in an effort to accommodate more riders, but that decision has raised concerns within the union representing the bus operators still working during the Covid-19 pandemic. METRO CEO Alex Clifford announced on June...

A group of young people gathered Wednesday in front of the Community Bike Collective (CBC) in Watsonville to learn how to change a bicycle tire. Participants in CBC’s Summer Bike Camp, they were preparing for a trip to Wilder Ranch State Park later that day....

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WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Police Department will help conduct 10 community listening sessions and the city will create a police oversight committee in hopes of increasing community trust and accountability in local law enforcement, Chief of Police David Honda announced during Tuesday afternoon’s Watsonville City Council...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Grand Jury every year investigates different aspects of local government and civic operations throughout the county, and its findings typically produce detailed reports of positives and negatives found during the investigations. But while those investigated are required to respond...

Bright green bike lanes continue to be painted on streets around Watsonville as an effort to further ensure safety for bicyclists in and around motor traffic. • Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation today declaring July 2020 “California for All Small Business Month,” as the Governor’s...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Every year, volunteer groups across Monterey Bay participate in a beach cleanup the day after the Fourth of July. The holiday is known to bring large crowds to local beaches for celebrations. Many set off fireworks, leaving large amounts of waste that is...

Masks and social distancing: these are the chief issues of the day, according to scores of medical experts, as to how we get out of the huge coronavirus mess we’re in. And in some places people observe the safety guidelines of masking up around...