Local News

WATSONVILLE—One month after Pajaro Valley High School (PVHS) unveiled its long awaited sports complex, another massive project years in the making took a giant leap forward. The California Transportation Commission on Wednesday approved an $11.7 million grant to help the city of Watsonville build a...

WATSONVILLE—A new business featuring a meat counter, a taqueria, fresh produce, a dairy section and a wide range of groceries recently opened on East Lake Avenue near Holohan Road. The store, called Farmers Market, also boasts a panaderia—or bakery— that features freshly baked Mexican pastries...

Leaders from the federal, state and local levels teamed up Friday to tour homeless camps in Santa Cruz in hopes of getting a better grasp of homelessness and to develop a plan to deal with the crisis. The two dozen officials, including Congressman Jimmy Panetta,...

For a man as accustomed to unusual calls as Watsonville’s Fire Chief, Pablo Barreto started his day on Wednesday with an unusual one.

WATSONVILLE—Hours after school officials warned that a challenge posted on the social media site TikTok could prompt young people to call in fake bomb and gun threats to their schools, a school in Watsonville received just such a threat. An anonymous message dated Dec. 17...

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...

The four mayors in Santa Cruz County – Francisco Estrada of Watsonville, Martine Watkins of Santa Cruz, Jack Dilles of Scotts Valley and Jacques Bertrand of Capitola – joined Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Chair Ryan Coonerty at the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Cruz to rally the community to stand up and be heard during the 2020 Census count.

WATSONVILLE — Beginning this month, babies born in Watsonville will have a small head start toward college. That’s thanks to Santa Cruz Community Ventures, which has launched Savings and Engagement for Education and Development Success, otherwise known as SEEDS. The program will launch with newborn babies from...

WATSONVILLE—After working a long shift picking strawberries and greens, dozens of farmworkers and their families received the royal treatment thanks to a new program from El Pájaro Community Development Corporation. Called the Farmworker’s Family Dinner, the initiative treated 38 families—roughly 230 people—to meals from El...