Local News

After a late spring rain storm hit the area over the weekend, UC Santa Cruz students continued their protest of the Israel-Gaza war, occupying the University’s Quarry Plaza in an action meant to pressure the school into divesting from companies tied to Israel and...

Jessica Carrasco is challenging incumbent Adam Scow for the Trustee Area 6 seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees. in the Nov. 5 election. She says her experience teaching, working with a local nonprofit and her time on the Watsonville Parks...

Cabrillo celebrates Hispanic Serving Institution designation Cabrillo College is celebrating its designation as an Hispanic Serving Institution with a variety of events. VAPA Voices Day will be held on Sept. 11 from noon to 2pm at the Aptos amphitheater. The event features free food, workshops and...

The causes of food insecurity are complex, but research suggests that health, housing and employment are key factors.  Feeding America—the country’s largest hunger relief organization—reports that annual healthcare costs for food-insecure adults are on average $1,834 higher than food-secure adults. Food insecurity, as defined by...

Editor's note: This is part two of photojournalist Tarmo Hannula's recent trip to Sacramento. After exploring Grizzly Island Wildlife Area on the morning of the second day of our road trip to Sacramento recently, my wife, Sarah, and I steered toward a string of small...

Two teenagers were arrested recently by Capitola Police after officers found them with a large amount of drugs. Capitola Police said the two juveniles were stopped  for public intoxication. During a search, police found hundreds of Xanax-style pills, 30 grams of psilocybin “magic mushrooms,” several...

The Western Flyer is a 77-foot wooden boat made famous by expeditions of author John Steinbeck and his biologist friend Ed Ricketts. The purse seiner has now found a new home in the Monterey Bay. Built in Tacoma, Wash., in 1937 to fish for sardines in...

Meetings to discuss proposed fire district assessment Property owners in the Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District are being asked to vote on a new assessment to maintain the Fire District’s current services and operations. According to the district, this measure will help to ensure adequate staffing...

The Watsonville City Council on Jan. 16 declined to place a resolution on the Feb. 13 meeting agenda to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The motion by Mayor Vanessa Quiroz-Carter failed 6-1, capping off a meeting that began when she called for...

Last-minute touches are being completed to make way for the Santa Cruz County Fair. From food stands and floriculture to arts and collectibles,  the entire fairgrounds is being charged up for their five-day run. Donna Giubbini, Fine Arts and Poetry Department Head and Chair at the...