Local News

Students in Watsonville High School’s Hope Club unveiled a “Peace Pole” Friday during a community-wide peace ceremony at the campus library. The permanent monument, engraved with the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight languages, was created to serve as a cornerstone of the...

A Santa Cruz County-based science education group took top honors in a regional underwater robotics competition April 25, earning a return trip to an international contest in Newfoundland, Canada. The Hephaestus Robotics Team, part of the Santa Cruz County Office of Education’s X Academy Robotics...

Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Misty Navarro was appointed to the board in October 2024, joining at a time when five of the seven members were new to elected office. What followed was a steep learning curve, often marked by volatility, as members worked...

Construction work has been completed on a major sidewalk and road repair project along Main Street (Highway 152) in Watsonville, where a chunk of land collapsed at Struve Slough.  The rupture—between Clifford Avenue and Watsonville Square where Nob Hill is located—took out a length of...

Watsonville is testing a pay-to-park program along parts of Aviation Way, a 30-day pilot that City Manager Tamara Vides said will be used to gauge the feasibility of future metered parking. Customers who recently visited the strip of restaurants at 45 Aviation Way—including Honeylux Coffee,...

Pajaro Valley Unified School District on Wednesday declared an impasse in ongoing negotiations with the teachers union, setting the stage for possible intervention by a state-appointed mediator. In a letter to district staff, PVUSD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Kit Bragg said a previous proposal...

Organizers are calling on residents across Santa Cruz County to “pitch in” May 9 for a coordinated cleanup stretching from Davenport to Watsonville. The third annual Pitch-In Santa Cruz event aims to build on last year’s turnout of about 750 volunteers, with dozens of cleanup...

International Worker’s Day The Monterey Bay Central Labor Council will hold its annual Labor Day Picnic May 1 on International Worker’s Day, also known in many countries as Labor Day. With a theme of “Honor Working People” the day starts with a 1pm car caravan that...

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) Board of Directors announced Tuesday the hiring of Taylor Honrath as its next Executive Director.  “We are pleased to welcome Taylor to this new role,” said Board President Susan Matcham. “He has been an outstanding Deputy Director, and we’re confident that...