Local News

One facet of the stay-at-home, and work-from-home coronavirus ordeal is an uptick in home gardening and landscaping. With extra time spent around the home, some folks are putting more time, and money, into the land that surrounds their homes. “They’re stuck at home more and...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel on Wednesday issued new restrictions on the county’s beaches, restricting their use between 11am and 5 pm starting on Saturday. The new restrictions came after hordes of people crowded the beaches and ignored social distancing rules...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously voted against granting a special use permit for a proposed business park at Main Street and Auto Center Drive. Boos Development Group, Inc. was seeking the permit so that it could construct two drive-throughs alongside roughly 20,000 square...

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved a proposal to close Pacific Pacific Coast Charter School after declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism made the school financially unsustainable. Located in the district’s headquarters known as The Towers, the hybrid school...

Special events Gourmet Grazing on the Green  (Oct. 5) Held at Aptos Village Park, Grazing on the Green is a day of fine wine, excellent food and live music. Spend the afternoon sampling the delicious flavors from dozens of local restaurants and local wineries. Event starts at...

Two men are in custody after a high-speed car chase that reached 150 miles per hour Wednesday in Watsonville.  The incident began on Highway 1 at Freedom Boulevard when police attempted to stop a white Buick Envista for traffic code violations. The driver fled, triggering a...

Tony Nuñez: On a tear-filled night, Watsonville councilwomen Rebecca Garcia and Trina Coffman-Gomez were sworn in as mayor and vice-mayor, respectivley, Tuesday. Garcia, a Watsonville native who has more than 30 years of experience in politics, replaced Francisco "Paco" Estrada. Estrada will continue on the council...

WATSONVILLE—April Bennett was only about 2 years old when she went up on a stage with her father, Steve Bennett for the very first time. Steve was in the house band at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton for many years, and April would often join...

WATSONVILLE—Two years ago Regeneracíon-Pajaro Valley Climate Action gathered data on the impact climate change has had on agricultural workers and the Pajaro Valley community at large. Now, the nonprofit is trying to form a more complete representation of the agriculture-rich region. Regeneracíon is asking farmers in...

WATSONVILLE—After the success of the all-girls pump track event earlier this year, Bike Santa Cruz County is once again teaming up with the City of Watsonville and other local organizations for a youth pump track clinic this Sunday at Ramsay Park. The clinic is open...