Local News

Anyone driving at night in parts of  Pajaro Valley may occasionally notice an unsettling purple glow illuminating the sky. This comes from LED lights used by cannabis greenhouses to create longer light cycles young marijuana plants need to grow.  And while the burgeoning cannabis industry has...

When former Watsonville City Councilman Manuel Bersamin retired from his seat in 2012 to care for his ailing 95-year-old mother, The Pajaronian asked him for advice to future council members.  “Try not to speak so much,” he said. “I was sometimes too wordy, but I’ve...

Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez will host a town hall meeting tonight, Oct. 27, to discuss potential rules for battery energy storage systems (BESS).  Hernandez will be discussing a potential new ordinance that he says would govern safety, transparency and ensure local control for...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tabled an ordinance that would have banned the sale of Kratom, opting instead for a watered-down version that prohibits the sale to anyone under 21 but includes a public education component.  Kratom is a plant grown...

Eight new dental chairs now await patients at a new Dientes Community Dental clinic following the organization’s grand opening celebration Wednesday evening.  More than 100 people attended the upbeat event that featured food and beverages, live music, clinic tours and words from Dientes officials and...

The City of Watsonville was recently presented the 2025 Helen Putnam Award for Excellence from the League of California Cities for its transformative Watsonville Brillante: Economic Development through the Arts project.   The statewide award celebrates programs that exemplify innovation, collaboration, and outstanding service to residents.  Watsonville...

Updated Oct. 24 at 10:45am Four teens are in custody after two fights at Watsonville High School Thursday morning left one 14-year-old student and a school employee injured. Interim Police Chief David Rodriguez said police responded just after 10am to a report of a stabbing in...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously named Nicole Coburn as its County Executive Officer, making official the unanimous Oct. 8 decision to name her as the final candidate. The meeting was held in the Scotts Valley City Council Chambers as the...

Government, business and nonprofit leaders around Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties staged the 2025 State of the Region Oct. 17 at CSU Monterey Bay to discuss a vast list of topics from health care and air mobility to hospitality, tourism, advances in...

Editor's note: this story is an update from a previous version. Thousands of people crowded into Watsonville Plaza and surrounding streets Saturday as part of the nationwide No Kings Day protest against President Trump, his administration and policies.  Officials with Indivisible—the group spearheading the event—put the...