Local News

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday took a look at the district’s use of police officers on high school campuses, an issue that has taken the forefront across the U.S. in the wake of several recent high-profile cases of...

WATSONVILLE—A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in a 2019 Watsonville case.  Casto Luna, 41, a transient, was found in the area of Ford and Kilburn streets in Watsonville and taken into custody on Monday, Watsonville Police said. WPD officers and detectives assisted the...

Ever since the countywide shelter-in-place order was put into effect in mid-March, Watsonville restaurants, coffeeshops and other establishments have been navigating a new frontier. While many closed their doors, others jumped head-first into the world of take-out and delivery. Now, as restrictions begin to loosen...

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WATSONVILLE—A 72-unit affordable housing project on Miles Lane off Freedom Boulevard is moving forward. The Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday meeting unanimously approved the development, a joint project between MidPen Housing and Encompass Community Services that will reshape a 4.7-acre lot which has mostly...

SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz County Chief Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios told the Board of Supervisors Monday that it should spend $20 million in reserves to fill a deficit for the 2019-20 fiscal year caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. That move will be a sizable slice of...

Fireworks stands are now popping up around Watsonville in preparation for Fourth of July celebrations. • Summer officially started Saturday with the summer solstice. I still marvel that the folks as long as 5,000 years ago knew about the solstice when they started the massive Stonehenge...

WATSONVILLE—What was anticipated to be a fight to save the city’s youth sports programs on Tuesday instead turned into a community call to slice into Watsonville Police Department’s $21 million budget in order to fund youth enrichment programs and social services. The Watsonville City Council...

WATSONVILLE—Every year on the outskirts of Watsonville, late summer brings the intoxicating aroma of fried food, along with the sweet summer cacophony of carnival rides, livestock and giant, jubilant crowds. But those voices will fall silent this year at the Santa Cruz County Fair, after...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Public Library continues to maintain a host of services, from online classes and movie streaming, to book checkouts during the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. Though the Freedom Branch is closed, its inventory is still obtainable, either online or through curbside pickup at the...