Local News

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake was reported in San Benito County on Tuesday afternoon and could be felt in parts of the Bay Area. The quake was reported at 3:23pm April 4 and was centered about five miles northwest of Hollister and 19 miles west-southwest of Salinas,...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Public Library (WPL) opened a new chapter last week by canceling its overdue fine system and forgiving all pending overdue fines.  At a meeting on Aug. 18, the Library Board of Trustees unanimously voted to make the change after library director Alicia Martinez...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Parks and Recreation Commission at its Monday virtual meeting recommended the City Council remove the George Washington bust from the City Plaza. The recommendation, put forth by Commissioner Jessica Carrasco, deviates from that of Parks and Community Services staff, which proposed that the...

WATSONVILLE—In a historic move at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the City of Watsonville officially apologized to the local Filipino community for the 1930 anti-Filipino race riots, which ended in the death of one man and ignited unrest across California.  It did so in a resolution...

State and city officials joined around 100 people recently to kick off repairs of the storm-damaged Capitola Wharf.  Attendees spoke about a multi-year journey that led to the groundbreaking ceremony.  “This wharf for 130 years has been an essential part of this community,” said Congressman Jimmy...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took a close look at an upcoming update to the housing element of the county’s general plan, a move required of jurisdictions every eight years. Central to the update is the state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Allocation...

WATSONVILLE—On an emotion-packed night that featured warm sendoffs for several city staffers, Ari Parker stepped in as Watsonville’s mayor during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. A lifelong Watsonville resident and an educator for more than three decades, Parker was sworn in by Assistant City Clerk Irwin...

Work is moving ahead on a new Arco AM/PM business on Lee Road beside the massive Hampton Inn & Suites project. In its framing and siding stage, beside the behemoth 112-room, four-story Hampton Inn & Suites, the business will feature a drive-thru car wash...

Two years after a group of independent filmmakers hit the streets of Watsonville with a car rigged with cameras and an assemblage of audio and lighting equipment, the movie that came from it is ready to be aired. Oscar Ramos, who wrote and directed the...

MOSS LANDING—The Elkhorn Slough Foundation recently acquired a key wetland property along Moro Cojo Slough, a major tributary of the larger Elkhorn Slough.  The 34-acre tract expands the foundation’s holdings in that area to 450 acres. The foundation has protected more than 4,200 acres of...