Community COVID-19 testing site coming to Watsonville
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—State officials have sponsored a community testing site for COVID-19 cases in the Watsonville area, Santa Cruz County Department of Public Health Director Mimi Hall said at Tuesday morning’s Santa Cruz County Supervisors meeting.
The hope, Hall said, is it will be operational...
New Leaf reopens Aptos store
APTOS—New Leaf Community Market in Aptos reopened Tuesday morning after a store-wide deep cleaning, spokeswoman Lindsay Gizdich said.
The store closed on April 21 after seven employees tested positive for COVID-19.
All employees currently working have been tested for the virus, and are cleared to work,...
Motorcyclist killed in crash
FELTON—A Felton man riding a motorcycle was killed Monday when he lost control and crashed, California Highway Patrol officer Julieta Trenado said.
According to Trenado, the 47-year-old man was riding a 1996 Harley Davidson on Highway 9 at about 4:55pm when he failed to navigate...
Officers balancing enforcement, education of COVID-19 orders
Additional reporting by Todd Guild
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—With the onset of warmer, sunny days, droves of people have been showing up at area beaches and parks, especially on weekends, even as the shelter-in-place order has hit day 41.Â
And beginning April 25, Santa Cruz County also...
Watsonville City employee tests positive for COVID-19
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville city officials on Friday closed the City Hall building for a deep cleaning after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, City Manager Matt Huffaker confirmed.
The employee is now self-isolating and under medical care, Huffaker said.
All employees that were in direct contact with the...
State witnesses deadliest day of COVID-19 crisis
California weighed in with its single worst death toll Wednesday with 117 people dying from COVID-19. The overall state death total at the close of Wednesday was 1,433. Gov. Gavin Newsom in a news briefing said there are 37,679 state cases. There were 1,877...
Newsom announces meals for seniors program
SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced a plan to get meals to isolated older adults by paying the restaurant industry to prepare and deliver breakfast, lunch and dinner for them.
The governor said the program was created to give a lifeline to seniors at home,...
WHS student earns top awards for landscaping skills
WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville High School junior with a bright future in professional landscaping has earned top honors for his intimate knowledge of turfgrass management.
Juan Herrera, 17, works for Watsonville-based K&D Landscaping as a turfgrass expert and manager.
A member of the Watsonville FFA chapter, Herrera is...
Cabrillo students wrestle with academic, economic uncertainty
By Jazmin Juarez, Special to the Pajaronian
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The coronavirus has brought many changes to people’s everyday lifestyle. Among them, the transition from in-person to online classes for students.
In Santa Cruz County, Cabrillo College switched to online courses on March 16. The school has...
South County’s low COVID-19 count concerns immigrant advocates
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville area has the lowest number of COVID-19 cases in Santa Cruz County, according to data from the county health department.
There were 29 known COVID-19 cases in South County as of Wednesday, compared to 33 in North County and 45 in Mid-County. North...
Man arrested after trying to kidnap girl
A Castroville man is facing kidnapping charges after he allegedly grabbed a 10-year-old girl who was walking home Friday.
Salvador Hernandez-Saldivar, 61, was charged with...