Local News

APTOS—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies and Cabrillo College administrators are investigating “offensive racist graffiti” that was found scrawled on a newly-painted restroom wall near the college’s Carl Connelly Stadium, Cabrillo President Matt Wetstein said. The graffiti has since been painted over. Neither school officials nor the...

Construction has started on a new rooftop cafe at the Watsonville Public Library on Main Street, a $2.7 million project that aims to give patrons a place to read and city residents a new place to grab a cup of coffee. The cafe, slated...

Hollywood actor Edward James Olmos poses with Michelle Rodriguez (right), Superintendent of Pajaro Valley Unified School District and Brenda Avila of the Watsonville Film Festival Friday in front of the Mello Center in Watsonville. Olmos, founder of the Latino Film Institute, made the special...

PAJARO—A federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order filed by an attorney representing dozens of people living in the Pajaro River levee against a planned cleanup organized by Monterey County officials. Anthony Prince, general counsel for the California Homeless Union/Statewide Organizing Council, on Wednesday...

The community is invited to the Obon Festival at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple (423 Bridge St.) Sunday, July 16 from noon to 5pm. Watsonville Taiko will perform at 3pm. The event is free and open to the public.  We spoke with Ikuyo Conant, Sensei and...

UPDATE 3:20PM: Caltrans reported all northbound lanes of Highway 17 in both Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties have reopened. Southbound Highway 17 south of Summit Road is fully opened. Currently only one lane of southbound Highway 17 north of Summit Road is open. ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Early...

A previously announced 24-hour closure of Highway 1 in Capitola, scheduled to begin Saturday March 23 at 7pm and run until 7pm Sunday, has been postponed due to weather. Caltran spokesperson Kevin Drabinski said scrubbing the demolition of the Capitola Avenue Bridge was put on...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—When the pandemic hit one year ago, the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) was forced to shut down its Healthy Pets For All (HPFA) program, which offered residents free pop-up veterinary clinics. During the first months of the crisis, SCCAS found ways...

Two vehicles were struck by gunfire Saturday morning while traveling on Highway 101.

In 2019, a new kind of restaurant settled into The Hangar complex near Watsonville Municipal Airport. Mr. Z’s Crepes and Teas, created by owner Rocky Patel, offers a wide selection of offerings: Fresh savory and sweet crepes, bubble teas, waffles, acai bowls, coffee drinks...