Local News

WATSONVILLE—Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday afternoon said all bars, night clubs, wineries and breweries should close and that restaurants should move to takeout orders and reduce to half-capacity to halt the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus that has sickened thousands worldwide. He also called...

Floodwaters from the Pajaro River levee break reached northbound Highway 1 Sunday morning, forcing officials to shut down the highway at 9am. The northbound lanes of the highway are shut down from Salinas Road to Highway 129. As of 10:30am, the California Highway Patrol was preparing...

WATSONVILLE—Since the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1716 was founded nearly a century ago, it has been a place for vets to find the camaraderie of shared experience, as well as a gathering spot for friends. More importantly, the Watsonville organization—and others like it nationwide—offer...

More Watsonville voters have elected to extend the city’s urban growth boundaries for the next 18 years rather than head back to the drawing board and determine a new growth plan, according to initial election results released Tuesday night. As of 8:16pm, 1,788 votes had...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Fire Department got its newest addition Monday, a 60-foot ladder truck that will replace an older model, and serve as the department’s “first-out” truck. The $1.3 million purchase came thanks to Measure G, the half-cent sales tax measure approved by voters in 2014 to...

WATSONVILLE—A construction crew replacing a sewer line ruptured a natural gas line Wednesday morning on the 1400 block of Freedom Boulevard, according to Watsonville Fire Division Chief Corey Schaefer. The 10am incident prompted Watsonville firefighters and police to shut down a section of Freedom Boulevard...

SANTA CRUZ—For the purposes of this article, Maya and Sebastian Laing’s story begins on Oct. 20, when a group of strangers paid a late-night visit to their grandmother’s house where they had been staying.  After trying unsuccessfully to convince the kids to come with them...

Thirteen firefighters in training are currently in the eighth week of an 18-week program to become new firefighters through the Santa Cruz County Regional Firefighters Training Academy 19-01.

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at a special meeting on Jan. 20 narrowly advanced a new district map that would largely stick to the status quo, but make a significant change between the 2nd and 6th districts. The map, dubbed the Rivera Plan, would move areas...

WATSONVILLE—When April Ortiz became pregnant during her senior year at Watsonville High School, severe morning sickness and other complications sidelined her education. Then came the birth. “Mothering was a new life and a new experience,” she said.  Ortiz, now 26, received her GED on May 22 from...