Local News

The Appleton Grill will welcome Bay Area musicians Bang Data in a concert on Saturday at 9 p.m.

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council approved the fourth change to a contract with Granite Rock for Phase 1 of the City’s segment of the Coastal Rail Trail, bringing the total price for changes to $501,328.94. The most recent contract change—included in the council’s consent agenda of...

WATSONVILLE—Some 80 people gathered in the Watsonville Civic Plaza Monday evening to welcome in Jorge Zamora as Watsonville Police Department’s new chief. A homegrown officer who started with the department as a cadet at the age of 15, Zamora said in a speech before being...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz Police Department is investigating after a man was stabbed to death early Sunday morning in Santa Cruz, police spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke said. Officers were dispatched to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon in the area of Depot Park...

Pajaro Valley Unified School District students and other young people raised the Progress Flag Friday during a ceremony at the district’s headquarters in Watsonville.  The event—attended by roughly 60 people, including PVUSD Board President Jennifer Holm and Vice-President Jennifer Schacher—was one of several flag-raising...

The American Crown Circus, Circo Osorio, has set up at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds for a series of shows. From clowns and jugglers to acrobats and magicians, the variety show, designed for people of all ages, will run several times a day through...

SEACLIFF—The tidal surge that ravaged Seacliff State Beach on Jan. 5 destroyed much of the park’s protective sea wall, all but destroyed the campground and ravaged the pier so severely that the entire structure is “actively failing” and likely beyond repair. That was the message...

Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel on Thursday announced that she will be retiring in June. Newel was appointed to the position in July 2019. During that time, she led the county through the Covid pandemic, considered to be the largest public health crisis in...

ROYAL OAKS—A 63-year-old man died Thursday after he reportedly fell into a machine at Monterey Mushrooms on Maher Road in Royal Oaks, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office said.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is investigating the industrial accident. They said Jose Fierro...

A demolition crew tears out the last of the Watsonville Nature Center in Ramsay Park as part of a major upgrade to the park. The center, a small portable building located toward the back of the park, was the only free, bilingual environmental education...