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Watsonville
January 25, 2026

United Way accepting applications for Emergency Food and Shelter Program

United Way of Santa Cruz County
The United Way of Santa Cruz County is accepting applications from agencies that provide food and shelter services looking for financial assistance. The local United Way branch will have $340,041 to distribute to qualifying nonprofit, faith-based and local government agencies through its Emergency Food and...

Group touts oral health success, working for more

Cynthia Mathews oral health summit
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Between 2014 and 2018, the number of 0-2-year-olds on Medi-Cal who visited the dentist in Santa Cruz County went up 238 percent, thanks to the advocacy of a local group focused on dental health. In addition, visits for 3-9-year-olds went up 31 percent...

Watsonville names new fire chief

The City of Watsonville has named longtime firefighter Corey Schaefer as its next fire chief following the retirement of Chief Rudy López. Schaefer, a 27-year veteran of the Watsonville Fire Department, has served as acting fire chief since August and was selected after a recruitment...

Fatal crash shuts down Highway 1 early Saturday

Man was walking on highway near Emeline Avenue.

Briefs: Flood meeting in Watsonville; Rotary supports Pajaro relief

watsonville rotary michael jones sister rosa casa de la cultura
Flood meeting set The City of Watsonville has scheduled a community meeting to discuss the flooding in neighborhoods that kicked off 2023. The meeting will take place at Ann Soldo Elementary School’s cafeteria, 1140 Menasco Drive, on May 15 from 4-6pm. Regan Vineyards now open for wine...

Small Business Saturday returns to East Lake Village

Nationwide event aims to encourage shopping at small, local stores.

State apologizes to Japanese Americans for imprisonment

SACRAMENTO—Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation Thursday declaring Feb. 19, 2020, as A Day of Remembrance: Japanese American Evacuation in the State of California. Starting in 1942 roughly 120,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and held at 10 “internment camps” during World War II over...

Wine & Roses hits 40th year

evening of wine and roses community health trust pajaro valley santa cruz county fairgrounds
The 40th annual Evening of Wine & Roses unfolded Saturday night at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Put on by the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley, the event serves as a fundraiser in support of health and wellness services for the Pajaro Valley. Guests...

Woman arrested after tossing illegal gun

A Watsonville woman was arrested Monday after she reportedly tossed a sawed-off shotgun before leading police on a short foot chase.

Volunteers gather to repair vandalized Black Lives Matter mural

black lives matter mural
Around 300 people joined forces to repair a giant Black Lives Matter mural Sunday in downtown Santa Cruz. The work was a community response to the mural being damaged by two men in what prosecutors described as a hate crime for felony vandalism when they...
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Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23–29

Passenger rail price estimates too high One can never convince  me that restoring the Santa Cruz Branch rail line for passenger rail would cost an...

Alliances in turmoil

Boys To Men