Local News

WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office deputies dismantled a homeless encampment on Riverside Road set up by a group that last month battled with the city of Watsonville over another camp on Bridge Street. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Keehn said that the department posted a 72-hour...

SANTA CRUZ—A recent clash between a Santa Cruz restaurant owner and a mobile hot dog vendor has drawn countywide attention, forcing one restaurant to close its doors and prompting demonstrations that have drawn hundreds of supporters. According to Santa Cruz Police spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke, the...

On Monday, 27-year-old Brenda Duarte was standing alongside a pile of her belongings in between the train tracks and the Pajaro River Levee, wondering where she was going to sleep that night after a planned levee eviction uprooted her.  Surrounding her were scores of recently...

WATSONVILLE—After a year of being shuttered, Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) has once again fully opened its gallery to the public. On April 9, the organization welcomed the public back with the start of its annual fundraising exhibit, “Take Aways: Art to Go!” Now in its...

The Safe Schools Project of Santa Cruz County is hosting its annual Rainbow Conference on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Watsonville High School. The event is billed as a day of “celebration, community and learning” for LGBTQ youth of all ages and the people who support...

SANTA CRUZ—The man who shot a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s sergeant to death—days after killing a federal building security guard in Oakland during a crime spree two years ago—pleaded guilty Monday to the local charges. Steven Carrillo, 33, a former U.S. Air Force sergeant, will...

The Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board of Directors on Dec. 21 approved a three-year contract with its nurses, two weeks after the nurses’ union ratified it. The approval came after six months of bargaining. Nurses say the contract helps improve patient safety by increasing...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to create an Office of Recovery and Resilience, which will coordinate the county’s response to the CZU August Lightning Complex fire. The new office would also respond to future disasters, which...

WATSONVILLE—Three new officers began their new careers with Watsonville Police Department on Aug. 16, and are now in the early stages of WPD’s 6-month field training program. Francisco Felix, Jasmine Tirado and Johnny Miranda are now riding along with experienced officers as they learn their...