Schools beset by teacher shortage
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Education leaders across Santa Cruz County—and the rest of the state—are struggling to fill classroom teaching positions and find substitute teachers, a problem that has left some classes without educators and required administrators at some schools to occasionally take over classes.
According to...
Food scrap composting program diverting tons from landfill
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Since it began in January, Santa Cruz County’s composting program has diverted nearly 50,000 tons of food scraps from the Buena Vista Landfill, vastly reducing the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere and reshaping the way residents view their trash.
That...
Watsonville businesses remain boarded up
Numerous businesses continue to keep their windows covered with large sheets of plywood in downtown Watsonville and at the Overlook Shopping Center on Main Street. The move was triggered Wednesday night by someone who posted a notice promising “barbaric protests" Thursday as part of the...
Criminal Justice Council report shows law agencies aligned
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—All of the county’s four city police agencies—and the Sheriff’s Office—have similar policies when it comes to use of force and releasing of information to the public, according to a report released in November by the Criminal Justice Council of Santa Cruz...
Reel Work Labor Film Festival stopping in Watsonville
The 18th annual Reel Work May Day Labor Film Festival begins on Sunday and will run through May 4.
Premiere Raspberries closing, laying off hundreds
WATSONVILLE—While some will be celebrating the birthday of activist and labor leader Cesar Chavez on March 31, a major raspberry grower in Watsonville will close its doors, and hundreds of employees will be laid off.
A representative at Premiere Raspberries, LLC confirmed the closure Thursday...
New book chronicles the near-industrialization of Monterey Bay
He was only 6 years old, but Glenn Church vaguely remembers the construction of the power plant in Moss Landing, which was being built not far from where he grew up.
“I recall seeing those stacks go up… it was a big deal,” he said....
Holiday Lights at Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds ready to roll
Last-minute fine-tuning is underway at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds to throw the switch for two million lights at the fourth annual Holiday Lights drive-thru, which runs Nov. 24-Dec. 24.
Event coordinator Dave Kegebein said new additions this year, including tulips and poinsettias, large snails,...
Central Coast soaked by recent rains
CENTRAL COAST—Recent heavy rains, ushered into the Central Coast from the Gulf of Alaska, have helped alleviate low water levels in an otherwise dry winter.
Ryan Walbrun, meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Monterey, said that since October Watsonville has taken in 9.7 inches...
Housing identified as key for new vision of Watsonville’s downtown
WATSONVILLE—As the three dozen or so people attending a Feb. 10 virtual meeting about the future of Watsonville’s downtown gave their final comments, one speaker’s remarks invoked some smiles and produced nodding heads from the rows of attendees displayed in their windows.
“We’re talking to...
Powerful storms clobber Central Coast
A string of strong winter storms slammed the Central Coast over the past several days, toppling power and communication lines, knocking down scores of...
