Prunedale projectile strikes hit 48 incidents
PRUNEDALE—The California Highway Patrol is continuing an investigation into a series of projectiles that have struck 48 vehicles on Highways 101, 152 and 156 since February.
Public Information Officer Jessica Madueño said the attacks, which have injured five people, are increasing in frequency and...
Video shows WPD officer punching man multiple times during arrest
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Police Department is facing criticism after a video was posted to social media showing one of its officers punching a man multiple times during an arrest on Tuesday night.
In a video posted to multiple social media platforms this week, two officers responding...
Watsonville attempted murder suspect pleads not guilty
Manuel Adrian Perez, 22, remains in Santa Cruz County Jail on attempted murder charges after Judge Rodney Stafford kept his bail at $375,000.
Potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes found near Watsonville
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County officials this week announced that they have found in Watsonville a species of mosquito known to carry the diseases dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever.
Those diseases are not currently found in California, and none of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—found...
PVUSD superintendent looks back on first year
Nearly one year after she took the helm of the county’s largest school district, Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Heather Contreras sat down with The Pajaronian to talk about her accomplishments, and the ongoing challenges facing the district.
“It’s been a long year, but...
Murals on the move
To celebrate Watsonville's sesquicentennial, Pajaro Valley Arts wanted to create a public art project that recognized the city's people and agriculture.
Music, activities and more lined up for Kidrageous carnival
In recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the 20th annual Jacob’s Heart Kidrageous Golden Carnival returns Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at the Watsonville City Plaza.
International Women’s Day: a conversation with Watsonville’s Mayor and Vice-Mayor
When Vanessa Quiroz-Carter and Maria Orozco were sworn in late last year as Watsonville’s Mayor and Vice-Mayor, it was only the second time in the city’s history two women have held the roles.
The first was in 2019, when Rebecca Garcia and Trina Coffman-Gomez sat...
Supervisors delay decision on new battery storage facilities ordinance, add new regulations
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took the first step in crafting rules governing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), giving their unanimous approval to a draft ordinance that aims to give a measure of local control to new facilities.
The ordinance before...
New family resource center to open in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—A new bilingual center, aiming to provide services and resources to families across Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties, will open its doors Monday in Watsonville.
Located at 1205 Freedom Blvd., Raíces y Cariño: A Community Collective for Families (RC Fam) will offer a...
Watsonville Community Hospital gets new CEO
Watsonville Community Hospital has appointed veteran healthcare executive Tim Moran as its interim chief executive officer as the community-owned hospital begins a search for...
