Local News

Months after floods devastated parts of the Pajaro Valley, residents continue to rely on financial support from local organizations as they start to rebuild their lives.  While the waters have receded and a sense of normalcy has been restored, some people are still struggling to...

WATSONVILLE—Total crime is down nine percent, businesses are moving in and parks are getting a facelift. Those were all highlights from Wednesday night’s fourth annual State of the City, a yearly public report on Watsonville’s progress presented by City Manager Matt Huffaker in the Civic...

WATSONVILLE—Hector Quiroz is making up for lost time—and holidays. The 51-year-old Watsonville resident said he lived in a group home from sixth grade through high school. That meant Halloween and Christmas—the two holidays many kids look forward to the most—were muted experiences. “My belief is that...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police will start handing out fines to tenants and property owners for illegal fireworks if there is evidence that they were bought, sold or set off at the property, the department announced Tuesday. Before the move, an officer needed to catch someone in the...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved nine new courses at five high schools that will bolster the district’s newly retooled Career Technical Education program. The new courses were created as extensions of the existing ones, with the penultimate...

The annual “Mi Casa es Tu Casa” exhibit, centered around Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a traditional holiday in Mexico, has opened at Pajaro Valley Arts in Watsonville. “Mi Casa es Tu Casa: Honoring Our Ancestors” features a range of participants, including...

I recently visited Farley's Christmas Wonderland at 108 Seaview Ave. in Santa Cruz to witness, by far, the most amazing residential Christmas display. For years it has been a major draw for the public with more than 30 fully decorated Christmas trees, miniature snowy...

WATSONVILLE—Heavily armed police from multiple agencies moved in on a home on the 600 block of Madison Street Thursday and took a man into custody on suspicion of attempted homicide. Watsonville Police Department spokesperson Michelle Pulido said Emmanuel Plascencia, 28, was arrested without incident. Pulido said...

WATSONVILLE—The musical group Rosa Azul is set to perform Sunday at Studio Judy G on Main Street.  The quartet, which describes itself as “a new ensemble of professional musicians that perform some of the best Mexican music with a polished flare,” will perform in the...