Local News

A wild land fire ate up five acres of trees and brush Sunday afternoon off of Conference Drive in Scotts Valley.

SOQUEL—Allen Stobaugh and his wife Mary were at the tail end of a 15-day cruise to the Hawaiian Islands—and were on their way for a final stop in Ensenada, Mexico—when their trip was waylaid by the novel coronavirus. Twenty-one passengers tested positive for the coronavirus,...

WATSONVILLE—Since 2019, local artist Jessica Carrasco has organized the Born and Raised in Watsonville scholarship, aiming to support youth while spreading positivity about her hometown. The scholarship is funded through sales of Carrasco’s line of Watsonville-themed stickers and other fundraising efforts in the community.  Students can...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville native Alex Reynoso has not forgotten his hometown. Nor has the Watsonville High School alumnus (class of 1991) backed away from using his talents to change the face of Watsonville. A ribbon cutting is in the works for the start of the new year...

Fox Factory, Inc. has temporarily laid off 85 employees from its Watsonville facility on Hangar Way and another 159 employees from its headquarters in Scotts Valley, state filings show. The reductions came weeks before its parent company Fox Factory Holding Corp, which designs and manufactures...

El miércoles, la Mesa Directiva del Distrito Escolar Unificado del Valle de Pájaro (PVUSD, por sus siglas en inglés) allanó el camino para que sus estudiantes más jóvenes regresaran a clases después de las vacaciones de primavera. Los estudiantes de kinder de transición y kinder...

WATSONVILLE—The Cabrillo College Board of Trustees on Monday unanimously appointed Martha Vega to fill the Area 5 seat left vacant when Felipe Hernandez was elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. “I’m grateful,” she said. “I am humbled and I’m honored and I...

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers affected by the recent Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) may qualify for reimbursements. The more than 45,000 PG&E customers that lost power in Santa Cruz County over the weekend are not eligible for the utility’s Safety Net program,...

Santa Cruz County residents are being encouraged to apply for the next Civil Grand Jury, a volunteer watchdog panel that investigates local government operations and issues public reports aimed at improving transparency and accountability. The 2026–27 term begins July 1, with the Superior Court expected...

WATSONVILLE—Last year, Pajaro Valley Arts’ annual “Take Aways: Art To Go!” fundraising exhibit earned a record-breaking $43,000. The organization hopes to once again top itself in 2020. “This is our one big fundraiser of the year,” said Chris Miroyan, who is co-curating this year’s exhibit with...