Local News

NOTE: Part of this story was written by reporter Tarmo Hannula. While some Watsonville restaurants have remained open since the countywide shelter-in-place order went into effect over two months ago, many have taken their time adjusting to the industry’s changing landscape. This includes two Watsonville mainstays:...

SANTA CRUZ—A motorcade rolled through Santa Cruz County on June 4 as part of a 22,300-mile, cross country journey to honor 338 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2020. The Beyond the Call of Duty End of Watch Ride to...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a contract for the design phase of a project that will eventually refurbish Watsonville High School’s aging sports facility. The $240,000 contract with Campbell-based Sugimura Finney Architects—and the estimated $2 million for the...

Rev. John Juno Song, pastor at the Watsonville First United Methodist Church, shows off one of ten new "icons" recently installed in the church's sanctuary. Icons are traditionally Eastern Orthodox works of art placed into churches through a dedication ceremony. Song said he has...

Save Our Shores’ staff and volunteers removed more than 250 pounds of waste from the Pajaro River on Friday via kayak, canoe and stand-up paddleboard.

WATSONVILLE—Caitlin Bayaca is on track to earn the highest award of the Girl Scouts organization.  The Gold Award is designed for high school-age scouts and ambassadors, who create, propose and lead a major community service project. Bayaca, a senior at Aptos High School and part of...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to hire an independent auditor for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office who would investigate such issues as citizen complaints and use of force. The move followed a report by...

For years, the Salvation Army in Watsonville has provided temporary shelter for homeless people, in addition to services such as showers, clothing, mail, lockers and laundry at the organization’s Navigation Center. This includes roughly 120 dinners per day, as well as a light breakfast.  “Sometimes...

El Pájaro Community Development Corporation (El Pájaro CDC) has entered into a partnership with Staff of Life, a natural foods market that recently opened its new store in the East Lake Shopping Center. El Pájaro CDC, which aims to support small business entrepreneurs by...

WATSONVILLE—In 2018, the inaugural Wine, Beer & Art Walk was held in downtown Watsonville. The event was a big success, selling out and seeing hundreds of people strolling along the downtown corridor, checking out local businesses while sampling local wine and brews and viewing local...