Local News

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police Chief David Honda has contacted the FBI for help in tracing the origin of a heavily-circulated social media post calling for a “barbaric protest” in Watsonville on Thursday. The flier circulated throughout the Bay Area, Honda said, and caused a stir locally. Dozens...

APTOS—When Oscar Cisneros was a sophomore at Aptos High School he and his friends felt their school was not celebrating its large cultural diversity. “This is a diverse campus,” he said. “There are so many cultures that should be celebrated.” Together, they created the Migrant Student...

WATSONVILLE—To say Watsonville City Councilman Francisco “Paco” Estrada had mixed feelings about the emergence of the four Covid-19 ‘clusters’ in Watsonville would be an understatement. The spike in cases was traced back to four separate family gatherings during Mother’s Day weekend, including one in which...

WATSONVILLE—Leaders of this year’s 274 Pajaro Valley High School seniors say the class of 2020 will be remembered for its unwavering school pride and its crazed support of athletics. Dennar Ocampo and Natalia Arroyo were at the forefront of both. “A lot of people would say,...

Local artist Kathleen Crocetti says she feels a tremendous weight has been lifted from her shoulders. The first phase of her five-year mosaic project, “Watsonville Brillante,” was installed last week: a 1,200-square-foot section of a large mural on the six-story Civic Plaza parking garage...

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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...

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—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...

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...