Local News

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart announced his retirement Wednesday, a move that will cap a 36-year career with the department when he steps down Dec. 6. He has endorsed Undersheriff Chris Clark to succeed him. Hart, who is serving his third term, says his decision...

A Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge ruled Tuesday that there is enough evidence that the man who raped and killed 8-year-old Madyson (Maddy) Middleton in 2015 would pose a continued danger to the public if he is released. Adrian Jerry (A.J.) Gonzalez, now 24,...

A collection of images from the Watsonville Strawberry Festival from Aug. 2-4.

A hiker in Corralitos found the body of a 25-year-old Watsonville woman Sunday morning after she had been reported missing under suspicious circumstances Saturday night.  “This is an ongoing investigation, and we are investigating Lizbeth Arceo Sedano’s death as a homicide,” said Santa Cruz County...

Watsonville Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a 25-year-old woman after she was reported missing Saturday night after her partner threatened police and was shot. WPD spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said Lizbeth Arceo Sedano has not been seen since Saturday night. Her partner, Joshua...

Days after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing jurisdictions throughout the state to address the homeless camps within their borders—and about one month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that laws banning sleeping in public do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment—unsanctioned...

California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF) has advice for farmers who have accumulated huge heaps of used plastic, specifically used drip system tape and hoop house film. CMSF Water Quality Program Coordinator Jazmine Mejia-Muñoz met via Zoom with Pajaro Valley residents concerned about the massive amounts...

A community project helped spruce up Hazelwood Park Mural on July 27 as part of the ongoing Watsonville Community Mural Paint Day.  Organized by Paul De Worken of Monterey Bay Murals, the one-day day event drew around 50 volunteers to Hazelwood Park, located at 297b...

A work crew hauls a large boring machine out of trench at Riverside Drive and Blackburn Street in Watsonville  Crews have finished the roadwork for the College Lake Integrated Resources Management Project, which will provide a 30-inch water main to transport treated water from a...