Local News

CENTRAL COAST—Forty percent of Santa Cruz County has now been deemed drought-free due to the rains that have drenched the Central Coast since the year began. Meanwhile, 17% of California is now out of drought conditions following a federal drought monitoring program’s report Thursday. The U.S....

PAJARO—On Thursday, Beatriz Lopez returned to the small apartment she shares with 10 family members on Associated Lane in the flood-ravaged town of Pajaro, 12 days after Monterey County officials imposed evacuation orders for more than 1,000 residents. Lopez, 20, was among hundreds of people...

Nearly three decades ago, the Queer Youth Leadership Awards (QYLA) was created to honor young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people (LGBTQ+) whose advocacy and activism have made notable impacts on their communities. Created by the Queer Youth Task Force, the annual ceremony is...

The Skillicorn BBQ is a major fundraiser to support scouting programs in the Greater Pajaro Valley and the Loma Prieta District.  Since its inception, the event has raised more than $650,000. During the event, 24 new Eagle Scouts will be recognized, and Chuck and Ramona Allen...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Public Health Department announced Tuesday that a resident has tested positive for the Delta variant of Covid-19. The patient is a man in his 50s who experienced mild symptoms. The sample was taken on June 10, county spokesman Jason...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on May 11 unanimously voted to continue a program at two high schools in which law enforcement officers are paired with mental health clinicians, and to bring the program to a third school. The School Resource...

WATSONVILLE—Farm Discovery at Live Earth Farm, an organization aiming to empower youth and their families through farm-based education programs, will host its annual benefit dinner on Sept. 24. “Mesa: Farm Discovery Fall Feast in the Fields” will have guests enjoying a multi-course meal with a...

Floodwaters from the Pajaro River levee break reached northbound Highway 1 Sunday morning, forcing officials to shut down the highway at 9am. The northbound lanes of the highway are shut down from Salinas Road to Highway 129. As of 10:30am, the California Highway Patrol was preparing...

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday are scheduled to appoint an interim leader to fill the vacancy when current Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez leaves on June 30. Clint Rucker, who currently serves as the district’s Chief Business Officer, will take the...

Community Bridges and Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey have teamed up to open a satellite resource center in Pajaro to provide disaster services for families recovering from the floods that inundated the region earlier this year.   The 580-square-foot office at 14 Porter Drive will fulfill...