Local News

APTOS—Results that continued to trickle in Wednesday showed Measure R falling short of the 55 percent it needs to pass. The $274 million bond measure was created to fund maintenance, construction and infrastructure projects at Cabrillo College’s Aptos and Watsonville campuses. If it manages to...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s voters have spoken. And their message was clear: keep our police and fire departments strong. Measure Y, the renewal of the half-cent public safety sales tax, passed with a little more than 76 percent of the votes from Tuesday night’s primary election. The measure will take...

APTOS—Second District Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend remained far ahead of challenger Becky Steinbruner Wednesday, with just over 67 percent of the vote. In a packed party in Cantine Winepub in Aptos, Friend gave a short victory speech, which was led off by his...

Tarmo Hannula: On Sunday there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Laundry Day Laundromat, 35 East Lake Ave. in Watsonville. The ceremony is from noon to 2 p.m. • Are you ready for a new cell tower embedded in a towering fake tree on...

SANTA CRUZ—A graduate teaching assistant who worked at UC Santa Cruz until she was fired on Friday says that a protest for higher wages has grown since it started in December to include several more UC schools. Brenda Arjona, who is in her third-year seeking...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Parks and Recreation Commission further solidified the final look of “Watsonville Brillante” at its Monday night meeting in the City Council Chambers. The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the next two large vertical images for the 12,500-square-foot mosaic that over the next five...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Planning Commission on Tuesday will make a decision on a proposed 75-foot cell tower on the 1400 block of Freedom Boulevard. New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC (AT&T Wireless) under the proposal would rent space at Extra Space Storage, 1478 Freedom Blvd., to construct...

Tarmo Hannula: Watsonville Police officer Javier Ayala introduced his K9, Axel, to the kindergarten class of Mara Valadez at Freedom Elementary School Monday as part of the annual Read Across America Program. Many people in the U.S., including students, parents and teachers, take part...

WATSONVILLE—Regeneración-Pajaro Valley Climate Action was recently named a finalist for the ecoAmerica American Climate Leadership Awards. The honor comes with an all-expenses paid trip for two to Washington D.C. to attend the American Climate Leadership Summit later this month. Additionally, Regeneración and the nine other...

WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Saturday arrested a man after a brief chase on a stolen motorcycle that had swapped plates. Alejandro Villarreal, 33, was charged with evading police, receiving stolen property and drug possession. He also faces charges for driving while his license...