Local News

Four F-15C Eagle fighter jets blasted across the skies of Watsonville, Santa Cruz and around the state Wednesday as part of a flyover tribute to health care workers, first responders and others on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. The California Air National...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Though some rural counties are allowing restaurants to open for dine-in service, Santa Cruz County officials are still several days away from giving their restaurateurs the green light. That’s according to county spokesman Jason Hoppin, who on Tuesday said testing and contact tracing...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Watsonville Community Hospital and Dominican Hospital have restarted offering elective procedures after they were put on hold to help slow the spread of Covid-19 and to prepare for a surge of patients with the disease.  This includes procedures such as surgeries, endoscopies, cardiac...

SALINAS—A man convicted two decades ago of trying to kill two Watsonville Police officers was denied parole this week after a hearing at Salinas Valley State Prison, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell announced Wednesday. Manuel Murillo, 42, was also convicted of dozens of...

PAJARO—Last year, every eighth-grader in Monterey County was given the gift of a lifetime: A chance to see the Tony Award-winning musical “Hamilton: An American Musical” live in San Francisco. Thanks to a generous donation by the Dan and Lillian King Foundation, 9,000 kids from...

Today is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who was born in 1820. She was a British social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. She rose to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War where she...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County will dip into its budgetary reserves to cover an estimated $20 million deficit in this year’s budget, which stems from revenue losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the request by County Administrative Officer Carlos...

WATSONVILLE—A man in his 30s was seriously injured Tuesday when he shot himself in the parking lot at Motel 6 in Watsonville. Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said two men were inside a Honda Civic at the motel, 125 Silver Leaf Drive, just before...

WATSONVILLE—The California Arts Council (CAC) recently announced the allocation of a record-breaking $30 million—the largest investment in the council’s 40-plus year history. A total of 1,534 grants have been awarded to nonprofit organizations and government programs across the state in support of the arts. Watsonville...

A Santa Cruz man died after a shark attacked him at Sand Dollar Beach, which is part of Manresa State Beach. Ben Kelly, 26, was pronounced dead on the shore in front of Cañon del Sol, a gated community of 97 townhome units on...