Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County launched a pilot program on April 8 to provide free menstrual products in restrooms in select county facilities, including at the Watsonville center on Freedom Boulevard. The program aims to assist low-income residents who struggle to afford menstrual products, said...

California commercial crab fisheries will close their season on April 15 as an influx of whales have begun feeding off the coast. The move is designed to help prevent Dungeness crab pots and their lengthy ropes from getting tangled up with whales, officials with the Center for Biological Diversity said.

The people affected by the storms and floods that occurred between Dec. 31, 2022 and March 11, 2023 have filed two lawsuits against the counties of Monterey and Santa Cruz, as well as the flood management agencies in those counties, along with the City...

WATSONVILLE—If everything goes right, Independence Day will feature the first citywide in-person celebration in Watsonville since the start of the pandemic. That’s according to Watsonville Parks and Community Service Department Director Nick Calubaquib, who says that the city is planning to hold a “static” parade...

A man arrested in the death of another man Sunday in Santa Cruz will not be charged, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell announced Tuesday.

WATSONVILLE—Gretchen Regenhardt, regional director of advocacy for the Watsonville branch of California Rural Legal Assistance, was showered with high esteem last week at her retirement party. About 50 people, including recently seated Watsonville Mayor Rebecca Garcia, gathered at Jalisco’s restaurant for an informal dinner, to...

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CAPITOLA—Two people were arrested Monday night on 41st Avenue on suspicion of running a rampant theft ring. Ashley Keehn, spokeswoman for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies spotted a vehicle at CVS on 41st Avenue that was suspected to be involved in an...

WATSONVILLE—A third candidate jumped into the race for the 4th District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors set to be vacated by current supervisor Greg Caput in November. Ed Acosta, a member of the County Office of Education’s Board of Trustees and...