Local News

WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office released the names of the two men who were shot and killed on Saturday in Watsonville in separate shooting incidents. The first victim, who was shot near Marchant and E. Front streets around 5:30pm, has been identified as Rafael Salcedo,...

Christopher David Ow, a member of the prominent Santa Cruz real estate family, died recently in a Southern California motorcycle crash, according to family sources. He was 54. Ow was a property manager with Ow Family Properties and was the on-site manager at King’s Village...

I spoke with the National Weather Service today and a meteorologist told me that a long dry period was about to settle over our region for a long time, possibly through the end of the month, which is not good, being that it is...

I covered a shooting in Santa Cruz yesterday by Dominican Hospital. Witnesses said it was a young Latino male. They said they heard three of four shots and then saw a black BMW sedan tear away. The Sheriff’s Office said it appears the victim...

PAJARO—The tiny town of Pajaro, nestled on the most northerly corner of Monterey County, just got its first pizzeria. Thanks to a dream of Pajaro native and resident Eric Ramirez, fresh homemade pizzas are prepared in-house and baked in a brick oven at Idle Hour...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a Thursday press conference announced that 40 percent of the state’s vaccination doses will be prioritized for disadvantaged communities, a move he said was needed to address the disproportionate impact that the novel coronavirus has had on...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Just hours before President Joe Biden said that every adult in the United States should have access to a Covid-19 vaccine by May 1, Santa Cruz County health officials said they expect the county will march along into the orange tier of...

Agriculture, like most industries across the U.S., has faced numerous challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic this past year. From worker safety to supply chain shortages, everyone from large corporations to small family farms have felt the effects.  Which is why this year’s National Agriculture Day...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday will discuss whether to censure trustee Georgia Acosta for several instances of misconduct during her time on the board. A censure does not remove an elected official, but instead, serves as a powerful condemnation...

AROMAS—The community of Aromas is home to about 2,650 residents. The rural area is nestled in the juncture between Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties, and attracts a variety of people, including many retirees, artists, farmers, nature lovers and activists.  But is also home...