Local News

The other day I saw someone had dressed up the surfer statue on the westside of Santa Cruz as a firefighter. I imagine it's some form of acknowledgement of the hard work firefighters are doing in battling our wild land blazes. • Maybe desperation has hit...

WATSONVILLE — Watsonville Police have arrested two men who allegedly burglarized a jewelry store, minutes after the same store was burglarized by a different suspect. Jorge Garcia, 29, was arrested less than 24 hours after stealing from Fatima’s Fine Jewelry on the 300 block of Main...

APTOS—Cynthia Jimenez-Gutierrez says she found inspiration to become a financial planner by helping her immigrant parents with their fiscal issues. After her education, she hopes to make a life in her community helping other immigrant families. “I like to work with money,” she said. “I thought,...

The extensive slough system that runs through the heart of the Pajaro Valley has become a cornerstone for local recreation, wildlife viewing, education and research.  These wetlands are home to various species of animals and plants, many rare and endangered. They help replenish groundwater, buffer...

A group of local residents, businesses and organizations pooled their efforts last week to serve hot meals and provide warm clothing and other goods to those in need in Pajaro. The project, headed up by Victor and Norma Aguirre and staged in the parking lot...

WATSONVILLE—A 19-year-old Watsonville man, armed with a loaded handgun, was arrested Wednesday following a brief but dramatic foot chase. The incident unfolded on Dawson Street near Marchant Street and the Pajaro River Levee around 1:30pm, Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said. Gabriel Villanueva was...

First United Methodist Church celebrating 170th Watsonville First United Methodist Church is celebrating 170 years on Oct. 22. A church service and luncheon will mark the occasion. The congregation was established when Rev. D.A. Dryden conducted a marriage ceremony on the banks of the Pajaro River...

This holiday season, the community is invited to support the region’s business owners and artists. The Watsonville Holiday Factory Sale is scheduled for Dec 6.  For the first time, the event will be co-hosted by El Pájaro Community Development Corporation and the Pajaro Valley Chamber of...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 13 will review proposed rules governing large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are expected to allow the controversial facilities to be built in unincorporated areas of the county while giving local officials a measure...

Comedian Allan S. Manalo offers his stream of jokes in Watsonville Plaza Saturday during the inaugural Filipino American History Month festival. The free event included live music, traditional Filipino food, information booths, arts and crafts and more. Organizers The Tobera Project hope to make the...