Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Salvador Orozco’s days have been different since Santa Cruz County officials ordered residents to stay home and forced most businesses to shutter their doors to slow the spread of Covid-19. The owner of Foreverfly Skate and Apparel in downtown Watsonville has played the...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—When Calabasas Elementary School fourth-grader Rosinely Resendez isn’t doing schoolwork in her tiny house in Watsonville, or independently teaching herself algebra online through Khan Academy, she is helping her mother care for her three siblings, including a 2-month-old sister. Rosi, as her friends...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—When Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel revised her shelter-in-place order on May 1, she relaxed restrictions on summer programs such as daycare and day camp, allowing families to begin planning activities for their kids after months of restrictions. The announcement came...

WATSONVILLE—Gov. Gavin Newsom announced increased funding for the Farm to Family Program on April 29. The program directly connects farmers and ranchers to food banks to feed Californians around the state. The state intends to seed a $15 million campaign with $3.64 million to...

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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel said she will revise her shelter-in-place order later this week, after Gov. Gavin Newsom releases information about slightly loosening statewide restrictions. Newsom is expected to launch Stage 2 of his “Reopening Roadmap,” which will allow retail...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Though there is far less traffic nowadays with the stay-at-home order, the California Highway Patrol is reminding people it doesn’t mean there are now fewer laws.  “We are experiencing people traveling at higher speeds, but we are out there patrolling,” said CHP officer...

Today is May 5 and an important day in Mexican history: Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that celebrates the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 during the Second Franco-Mexican War. Also known as Battle of Puebla...

WATSONVILLE—The application process for the City of Watsonville’s small business emergency grants opened today. With help from El Pajaro Community Development Corporation, the city will offer roughly 50 grants of up to $2,000 to small businesses located within city limits with $2 million or less...

SANTA CRUZ—Dignity Health Dominican Hospital announced Monday that it has received a $1 million donation, which will be dispersed to hospital employees who have helped fight the coronavirus. The anonymous donor is a “long-time friend” of the hospital who wanted to thank the workers specifically...