Police taking ‘barbaric protest’ threats seriously
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police say they are taking seriously threats made on social media of a “barbaric protest” that is set to begin at the Overlook Shopping Center on Main Street at 5pm.
The garish yellow flier that circulated widely featured a drawing of George Floyd, who...
Sheriff’s office warns of phone scam
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a scam in which callers warn residents they have a warrant, and demand money.
The individual has identified himself as “John Steel” with the Sheriff’s Office and requests money from the victim. The number...
Watsonville High’s seniors clear personal, societal hurdles en route to diplomas
WATSONVILLE—Sometimes a blunt reality check can completely change the trajectory of a person’s life. A strong support system also helps.
Geraldine Gonzales-Jaramillo can attest to that.
Now one of Watsonville High School’s 438 graduates from the class of 2020, Gonzales-Jaramillo was in danger of slipping through...
Local nonprofits brace for budget cuts
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Gov. Gavin Newsom on May 27 released his revision of the California budget, and through it proposed to eliminate funding for Community Based Adult Services (CBAS) no sooner than July 1.
CBAS programs aim to provide seniors alternatives to nursing facilities and other...
County supervisors allow outdoor dining, shopping
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal to allow restaurants and businesses in the unincorporated areas of the county to use their parking lots for outdoor eating and shopping areas.
The plan was designed to help ease...
Supervisor Friend hosting tele-town hall to discuss farmworker protections
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend tonight will host a tele-town hall from 6-7pm with guest Tom AmRhein to talk about the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
AmRhein, the former president of the Farm Bureau and the current chair of...
Santa Cruz County jury trials to resume
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Superior Court plans to resume jury trials in late summer, a little more than two months after they were temporarily suspended due to concerns over Covid-19.
Presiding Judge Paul Burdick announced on March 17 that all jury trials—including criminal, civil...
A giant falls: Fire destroys Aptos radio tower
APTOS—A blaze that Aptos/La Selva Fire said was likely started by a homeless person seeking warmth has felled one of the towers that once reached into the sky alongside Highway 1 in Aptos.
The tower was part of a quintet of now-silent radio antennae that...
County’s young people invited to spend ‘Noon in the Park’
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Families across Santa Cruz County are invited to participate in Noon in the Park, a free, virtual program featuring community leaders singing, reading books and creating art.
Each day is different.
Kate Pavao and Aaron Lazenby, who run the Live Like Coco Foundation, will...
Locals join nation in protests following death of George Floyd
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Thousands took to the streets in Watsonville and Santa Cruz over the weekend in bold protest of the death of George Floyd, an African American man who died in Minneapolis May 25 when a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly...
Are we in the midst of a cultural revolution?
Since the 1960s, the U.S. has become a more inclusive country.
This necessarily meant that white men lost some part of their privileged positions in...