Local News

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police are warning the public to be on the lookout for holiday package thieves, and are suggesting a few simple safeguards to stop theft. The issue came to the forefront this holiday season when a resident recorded a daylight burglary from her Watsonville residence...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Panning Commission at its Tuesday meeting will look over plans for one large Main Street project and see a presentation on another. The commission will make a decision on the proposed construction of three one-story commercial buildings and two drive-throughs at 975-1075 Main...

WATSONVILLE—Lizz Weihrauch knows firsthand the transformative power of music. Twenty-three years ago, Weihrauch was a single mother looking for a way to introduce her son, who was born with Down syndrome, to music. They tried out a number of programs and classes, searching for the...

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...

WATSONVILLE—A New Year has begun, and with it comes the start of Census 2020. The U.S Constitution mandates that every 10 years the country’s population should be counted. The information is then used to distribute federal funding and to determine political representation in each state. “The...

The City of Capitola has temporarily closed its wharf after high winter surf damaged two supportive piles on New Year’s Day. Engineers who inspected the damage—which occurred underneath the small boat hoist—installed a steel beam that spans the failed area on Saturday so the hoist...

CAPITOLA—Work is moving forward on the Capitola Branch Library on the busy corner of Clares Street at Wharf Road. Currently, workers are installing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems overhead and in-wall, said Megan Blackwell, marketing manager for Otto Construction, the general contractor for the job. Over...

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...

Tarmo Hannula: Reporter Todd Guild and I covered the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day march in downtown Santa Cruz this morning. I was glad to see more than 1,500 people participating in the march, waving signs, chanting and glad-handing bystanders. • Three men are in...

WATSONVILLE—A gaggle of educators and nonprofit leaders gathered on the uppermost floor of the Watsonville City Plaza Tuesday to hear Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah outline his department’s operational plan for the next five years. The two-hour session was both a chance...