Local News

WATSONVILLE—Hundreds of students, staff and parents gathered at Ann Soldo Elementary School on Feb. 20 to celebrate the school’s 20th anniversary. Principal Elaine Parker said the celebration came in the same year that the school’s namesake would have turned 100. Ann Soldo taught fifth through eighth...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a proposal to lay off as many as 24 classified employees, a move district officials say was necessary due to declining enrollment. Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez told the board that the district has lost...

FELTON—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy killed Saturday afternoon when he was ambushed by a gunman has been identified as Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38. Gutzwiller was a father of a young child, and was expecting a new child soon, said Sheriff Jim Hart. The death has...

On Thursday I drove by the new Starbucks on Lee Road which is still under construction, as is the towering Hampton Inn & Suites behind it. The new Starbucks, with a drive-thru, will mark the fifth Starbucks in Watsonville. The coffee chain started in...

WATSONVILLE—When the Santa Cruz County Fair opened Wednesday, Watsonville resident Manuel Monroy was one of the first ones through the gate, his 3-year-old son Leo at his side for the boy’s first fair experience. On their agenda was the popular All Alaskan Pig Races, a...

Watsonville police detain a man Saturday on West Beach Street near the City Plaza on suspicion of armed robbery. WPD Sgt. Mike Ridgway said the suspect tried to rob several businesses at knifepoint on the 500 block of Main Street around 11:30am, however, he...

A weekly column that celebrates local businesses — especially eateries, watering holes, coffee shops and the like.

Garrett Lee notched three goals for the hat trick in a 5-3 win against Ceiba College Prep in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play on Thursday. The junior left winger scored twice in the first half and picked up a crucial goal near the 60th...

Author Graydon Miller says he’s been working on his latest novel on-and-off-again for over three decades. It began in July 1985, when a number of Latina workers at Watsonville Canning went on strike, protesting sudden wage cuts and reduced health benefits. The workers, represented by...

WATSONVILLE—Near the tail end of a largely uneventful first read-through of the proposed budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year on June 14, Watsonville City Council members gave themselves a nominal pay increase that sparked a discussion about how their compensation limits who runs for...