Local News

With a motto of “keeping the fun in fungi,” the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair will take place for the 45th year in a row in downtown Santa Cruz Friday through Sunday.

Observations from the Pajaro Valley and beyond.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz Gives is back, and the annual countywide crowdfunding holiday campaign is bigger than ever.  Following a year that saw skyrocketing donations, Santa Cruz Gives has doubled the number of nonprofits it will raise funds for from 40 to 80. The online campaign,...

SANTA CRUZ— The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an $874 million budget for the coming year that includes cuts and position reductions to every department in the county. According to County Budget Manager Christina Mowrey, the reductions include furloughs of 5-10%,...

Watsonville native and Santana lead singer Andy Vargas will bring his band to the Henry J. Mello Center Saturday for a holiday benefit concert.

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Police Department will help conduct 10 community listening sessions and the city will create a police oversight committee in hopes of increasing community trust and accountability in local law enforcement, Chief of Police David Honda announced during Tuesday afternoon’s Watsonville City Council...

The 1917 Watsonville Woman's Club, in Tudor Revival style, has just undergone a new exterior paint job, thanks to the efforts of Masters Painting. Mike Masters said he was pleased with the outcome but added that due to the age of the structure, there...

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will revisit a decision from last September not to renew a contract with an organization that helps teachers deliver ethnic studies curriculum, which now used in the district’s three comprehensive high schools. That discussion will occur...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Though the Disaster Recovery Center at Ramsay Park in Watsonville closed up shop Feb. 10, services are now offered at Watsonville City Hall. Starting Thursday, Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Watsonville and Felton were extended to continue providing recovery services to residents impacted...

Members of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation presented a plan Monday that aims to strengthen the way the state regulates agricultural pesticides. The seven-page Draft Strategic Plan 2024-28 was presented in Watsonville to a crowd of about 50 people at the Ramsay Park Family...