Local News

Santa Cruz County re-opened its new sobering center, where people under the influence of drugs and who are drunk in public—as well as first-time DUI offenders—can sober up, avoid jail and connect with services.

WATSONVILLE—Like other nonprofits in Santa Cruz County, Watsonville Wetlands Watch has had to adapt to a new normal amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. When shelter-in-place restrictions went into effect in mid-March, the organization immediately started working on putting all of its programs and field trips...

WATSONVILLE—Dr. Sepi Taghvaei clearly remembers one of her favorite patients at Dientes Community Dental Care. The woman had all her upper teeth removed while serving time in prison. Since the facility hadn’t offered dental care, her teeth had slowly decayed. Dientes set the patient up with...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District came one step closer to bring back athletics for its students by releasing a set of guidelines for summer conditioning, which can begin as early as next week.  Athletic conditioning and workouts will be permitted beginning the week of...

SANTA CRUZ—Highway 1 in Santa Cruz, between Morrissey Boulevard and 41st Avenue, was closed for more than 90 minutes in both directions due to “police activity” on the La Fonda Avenue overcrossing, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said. Just before 3pm multiple callers told...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday meeting declared the vacant Kmart property a public nuisance, citing “illegal camping, lack of sanitation, inoperable or abandoned vehicles, excessive noise,” and a “violation of the City’s zoning laws.” The declaration gives the City the right to remove...

Around 400 bicyclists filled Capitola and Santa Cruz Saturday as part of a nationwide cycling event to bring bicyclists together to show off their skills and simply bring the community together.

Watsonville Police are hoping they can reunite hundreds of stolen items with their owners during a public viewing on Nov. 14.

PAJARO VALLEY—A growing list of helping hands during the flood crisis that struck Pajaro recently continues to dole out badly needed goods and services. On Saturday the staff at Pajaro Valley Shelter Services in Watsonville invited 100 families from Pajaro to help themselves to new...