Local News

WATSONVILLE — Watsonville police on Oct. 18 arrested a man suspected of stealing a wheelchair ramp used by a young girl to enter and exit her home. The Santa Cruz County Auto Theft Reductions and Enforcement Task Force (S.C.A.R.E.) arrested Pedro Villanueva, 27. He has been...

This story has been updated with new results and with a statement from the Santa Cruz County Republican party chair. Statewide voting results Wednesday morning showed Proposition 50 ahead by a large margin, with just over 63% of Californians voting yes, and 77.2% of Santa...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Nature Center is opening for visitors this weekend for the first time since the pandemic. A bilingual open house will be held Saturday from 3-5pm, with a workshop on emergency wildfire preparedness. Numerous organizations and agencies will be on hand for the event,...

LIVE OAK—Meals on Wheels (MOW) is looking for a new home after being served an eviction notice by Live Oak School District, which has been leasing its location to the organization for more than four decades. The district has told the organization that the aging...

 A driver shot off of Casserly Road Monday in Watsonville and slammed into a utility pole, splitting it in two. The California Highway Patrol said the driver, who fled the scene on foot, shot off the pavement around 1pm while traveling north on Casserly just...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a slew of proposed changes to the county’s justice system recommended by the Justice and Gender Task Force, a large coalition of lawmakers, public service and nonprofit directors, law enforcement officials and...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to file a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission against Pacific Gas and Electric Company for what officials say is unpermitted timber harvesting and other activity in the wake of...

Farmers Insurance agents Dwight Lynn and Jacqueline S. Barrios honored local classroom teachers in partnership with their principals, Elaine Parker of Amesti Elementary and Amy Thomas of Watsonville Charter School of the Arts (WCSA), for their contributions to the students and their families in the community of Watsonville.

TAHOE CITY, Calif.—When the pandemic swept through California last year, Lake Tahoe, the azure gem of the Sierra Nevada, swarmed with city dwellers fleeing to the purity of its alpine air. Now the stampede has reversed. With a fast-expanding wildfire roaring just one ridge away...

Pajaro Valley Unified School District Student Trustee Daniel Esqueda filed a formal complaint against Trustee Oscar Soto on Oct. 25 for remarks the latter made at recent board meetings. The Uniform Complaint Procedure is in place in cases of “unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation or bullying...