Local News

Cold autumn rain did not dissuade a group of roughly two-dozen veterans who gathered Monday morning at Natural Bridges State Park for a 10-mile walk to Britannia Arms restaurant in Capitola. The annual Journey for Change Veterans Day walk, launched about two decades ago, is...

The Watsonville Planning Commission approved a drive-thru Starbucks in the Watsonville Square Shopping Center Tuesday, one of two such coffee shops in the works for the city.

WATSONVILLE—Federal, state and local officials gathered at Atri Park in Watsonville Monday at a public ceremony to sign a design agreement for the Pajaro River Flood Management Project.  The long-awaited $400 million effort is designed to reduce flood risk for the “disadvantaged” communities of Pajaro...

SCOTTS VALLEY—A Santa Cruz man was arrested Saturday night for driving under the influence of alcohol after a crash on Highway 17 injured him and his passenger. Jacob Rush, 25, and his 24-year-old female passenger were taken to a trauma center with major injuries. According to...

Pajaro Valley Unified School District is not considering increasing class sizes as a way to address future budget cuts. In a Dec. 5 story, about the district’s Sustainable Budget Team, The Pajaronian referred to a recommendation by the California Department of Education to “increase kindergarten...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Nature Center reopened to visitors last weekend for the first time since the pandemic, holding an open house on June 26 that included a special workshop on emergency wildfire preparedness.  Various local organizations and agencies were on hand at the event, including Regeneración...

Sweeping measures are unfolding across the globe in dealing with the coronavirus, which has sickened more than 187,000 and killed 7,400 people, including 111 in the U.S. The White House is now pushing for a huge stimulus package of $1 trillion to help bolster...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville man who died Dec. 15 after he was struck by a car as he walked along West Beach Street has been identified as Abel Elizondo Rodriguez, 42. Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said Rodriguez was walking partially in the westbound lane in front...

The City of Watsonville has sent out a call to local artists to help create a mural for the new nature center coming to Ramsay Park.  As part of the Ramsay Park Renaissance Project, community members are invited to provide input on the mural design,...

NOTE: Reporter Tarmo Hannula also contributed to this article. SOQUEL — Nissan has recently withdrawn its approved application to build a dealership on the corner of 41st and Soquel, Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold announced Monday. “We are starting to see new economic impacts from...