Local News

WATSONVILLE—Santa Claus will be making an early appearance in Watsonville this week, visiting neighborhoods to spread some holiday cheer. The second annual Santa Tour, which began last year during the height of the pandemic, kicks off tonight and will make its way through more neighborhoods...

Hundreds of people came to Santa Cruz Monday to honor Martin Luther King Jr., many waving signs, chanting and singing as they made their way down Pacific Avenue. Their message was one of community, activism and support. Similar marches and events occurred throughout the U.S....

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday got a first look at its financial picture since Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed budget in January, which provides a record $100 billion for schools and community colleges. The board also revised the...

WATSONVILLE—Work continues on the major redesign of the heavily-traveled intersection of Highway 129 (Riverside Road) at Lakeview Road just east of Watsonville. Caltrans spokesperson Kevin Drabinski said the project, which got underway in the spring, calls for the construction of a roundabout at the busy...

A new battery storage facility slated for a lot on the outskirts of Watsonville has some residents on edge after a Jan. 16 fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant, which sent a thick column of black smoke into the air and closed Highway...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The number of people contracting Covid-19 in Santa Cruz County is starting to slow, but the recently renewed mandate to wear masks indoors in public spaces is not going away anytime soon. Santa Cruz County health officials at a Thursday press conference told...

WATSONVILLE—Jimmy Dutra opened a large, early lead on Tony Gomez in the race for the District 6 seat on the Watsonville City Council, a position that will come with the mayorship in the incoming year, and never looked back. Dutra had 64% of 2,484 votes...

Santa Cruz County saw a slight decline in its numbers of homeless people after the biennial count conducted in January.

SANTA CRUZ—A man was found dead in his cell at Santa Cruz County Main Jail Monday morning, marking the second death at the jail in less than a week. German Carrillo, 24, was in custody on murder, assault and gang charges, Jail records showed. Carrillo was...

By TARA FATEMI WALKER SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) and its network of more than 70 partner agencies, including nonprofits such as food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters, work hard to combat food insecurity.  But because of new requirements mandated by Senate Bill 1383,...