Local News

CORRALITOS—The 25-year-old woman who died Tuesday after an SUV struck her on the 4800 block of Freedom Boulevard has been identified as Stephanie Bell of Aptos, according to Ashley Keehn of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.  California Highway Patrol officer Alyssa Gutierrez said a...

An 81-year-old man died Monday afternoon after driving his 2016 Chevrolet Spark into a utility pole on Soquel Drive in Santa Cruz.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—In June, Santa Cruz County voters might be able to state their preference on what has become one of the region’s most contentious issues in the past decade: the future of the county’s 32-mile rail line. On the ballot, voters will be asked...

After a two-year hiatus, the Spirit of Watsonville Fourth of July Parade will finally be returning to the Pajaro Valley. Parade goers can expect all the usual favorites, from the mayor riding in a vintage convertible, new and antique fire engines, nonprofit and community groups,...

Author Olga Rosales Salinas remembers clearly the folklore and myths she heard growing up in Watsonville. The Mexican legends of La Llorona and El Cucuy in particular stuck with her; stories themed around fear and often used to teach difficult lessons.  “I’ve often thought about what...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The number of unemployed people in Santa Cruz County has nearly doubled since the Covid-19 crisis began in March 2020, from 4.8 percent in 2019 to 8.5 percent last year. That amounts to 16,900 fewer jobs than there were a year ago, said...

WATSONVILLE—Large changes are unfolding at the Watsonville Senior Center at East Fifth Street after the City of Watsonville took over operations on Nov. 1. The City will pump $176,000 from its 2019-20 general fund into the Senior Center, and also hire an Older Adult Services...

APTOS—When tasked with choosing a production for Cabrillo College Theater Arts Department’s Fall 2022 season, Abel Cornejo knew he wanted to find something that celebrated Hispanic culture. After a long search, however, Cornejo still hadn't found just the right play. That’s when he had the...

The 47-year-old man suspected of killing two people and injuring others early in the morning on Nov. 21 at a Pajaro bar was possibly acting in self-defense and may not face murder charges, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday. Sergio Ramos Carranza turned...

WATSONVILLE—The County of Santa Cruz Department of Public Works has announced that Green Valley Road in Watsonville, from Celia Drive to Paulsen Road, will be subject to daily closure between 8:30am and 4:30pm, starting Wednesday and running through April 14, weather permitting. The road will...