County officials kickstart one-year countdown to 2020 Census
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.
Highlighting student talent
Art instructors from 16 schools in Pajaro Valley Unified School District hung more than 400 pieces of student artwork in the Civic Plaza Building March 28 as part of the Annual PVUSD Student Art Exhibit.
The art will be shown for the next year on...
Juvenile Hall remodel to include gym, garden, greenhouse
A long-unused, aging outdoor courtyard makes up the eastern portion of Santa Cruz County’s Juvenile Hall, showing its age with a weedy yard and cracked blacktop.
But a group of probation officials and youth advocates who gathered there Wednesday have big plans for the space.
These...
Santa Cruz County Supervisors approve budget, brace for impending recession
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the $1.1 billion proposed budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, including a $731 million General Fund.
While the county’s financial outlook takes into account slowing revenue growth, it funds community priorities such as the...
Man deemed sexually violent predator arrested
A man considered a sexual predator was arrested Wednesday morning in Capitola when Capitola Police and U.S. Marshals served a federal search warrant on the 1100 block of Sutherland Lane.
George Paul Bishop was wanted for failing to register as a violent child sex offender,...
Community rallies against proposed battery storage facility in Watsonville
A grassroots movement of citizens concerned about the construction of a new battery storage facility in Watsonville held a public meeting on Monday evening to discuss the dangers of such a project and rally local residents by passing around petitions and encouraging citizens to...
Proposal could change county’s recycling accessibility
Vision Recycling, a local green waste recycling company, is resisting a proposal from Santa Cruz County that company officials say could lead to a loss of jobs and an increase in traffic.
Public invited to weigh in on water projects
The PV Water Board of Directors is inviting the public to hear the latest on the Basin Management Plan Update at its Wednesday meeting.
DNA links man to 2016 sexual assault
A Watsonville man is now facing charges after a DNA match linked him to the sexual assault of 13-year-old girl in 2016.
Save Our Shores urges Memorial Day visitors to keep beaches clean
The Save Our Shores (SOS) organization is encouraging everyone who visits local beaches this Memorial Day Weekend to be an “Ocean Hero.”
The environmental nonprofit asks visitors to leave beaches with all the items they brought with them, including trash.
SOS recommends to:
1) Bring...
New leadership, shared priorities: Investing in the future of public safety
As we begin a new year, I want to reflect on the direction of public safety in Watsonville and the leadership helping guide that...





















