Local News

Housing advocates, city leaders and elected officials gathered May 8 to celebrate the groundbreaking of Evan Circle, a new 13-home affordable housing development in Watsonville.  The project by Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay is intended to help the city meet affordable housing goals. Keynote speaker Congresswoman...

One of the candidates for the hotly contested 4th District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, Felipe Hernandez, has filed his financial statements late for three years, a violation of campaign law. According to Santa Cruz County Clerk Tricia Webber, Hernandez submitted...

On Tuesday, Pajaro Valley High School junior Valeria Melgoza-Ortiz was busy riveting the tail section of an airplane that one day next year will take her into the skies above Watsonville. Melgoza-Ortiz is one of 22 Pajaro Valley High school students enrolled in the school’s...

Watsonville residents spread out along the Salsipuedes Creek levee easy Saturday morning to collect trash as part of the third Annual Pitch In All County Cleanup Day, which is organized by the Trash Talkers. Over 100 organizations joined forces to help with cleanups from Davenport...

Watsonville leaders, state officials and community members gathered Thursday afternoon at City Plaza to celebrate the start of a long-awaited revitalization project aimed at preserving the historic downtown gathering place while expanding its use for future generations. The project, which city officials said is expected...

Olive D. Wilson discovered her love for writing early in life, chronicling her thoughts, experiences and ideas the way many writers do. Over time, that practice evolved. What emerged from that reflective work, she realized, was both a story that needed to be told and...

Santa Cruz County officials on Tuesday opened public hearings on a proposed $1.29 billion budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, warning that federal funding cuts, rising labor costs and growing structural deficits are forcing difficult financial decisions in the years ahead. The recommended budget includes...

Cabrillo College opened its new Watsonville Wellness Center and Food Pantry on Monday at the Watsonville campus on Union Street. “We are very excited to launch the Watsonville Wellness Center, which allows us to equitably provide students with basic-needs services at both our Aptos and...

The Cabrillo College Governing Board voted Monday to censure Trustee Steve Trujillo for a second time, citing findings from an investigation into professional misconduct and violations of board policies. The board approved the censure at its May 4 meeting following a two-month inquiry by an...

Watsonville Community Hospital has earned its first “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group, marking a dramatic improvement in patient safety since the hospital came under public ownership in 2022. The national nonprofit released its Spring 2026 Hospital Safety Grades this week, awarding Watsonville Community Hospital...