Local News

A woman died and a man suffered major injuries Sunday night when fire broke out in their single-story home on the 500 block of Cedar Street in Watsonville. Firefighters were quick to arrive on the scene at the corner of Bridge Street in Bay Village,...

Watsonville Police Department brought on two new officers to the force last week, a move that brings the department closer to filling its roster. Lizandro Godinez and Samuel Vazquez recently completed the six-month police academy. “We are proud of their accomplishments and excited to see them...

The Santa Cruz County Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services has sent out a call to area artists to create a public artwork for new and renovated areas of the Juvenile Hall Facility in Felton. The Multi-Use Recreation and Program Facility (Gym) will...

The Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) held a public hearing Jan. 16 at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas to address a new draft regulation for Telone, a pesticide also known by the chemical name 1,3-dichloropropene. Protesters say the regulations proposed by the DPR allow...

Since its inception in 2020, the Santa Cruz County Neighborhood Justice Program has held 351 conferences between people who commit low-level crimes and their victims. Of these, 319 have completed the requirements to which they agreed, with the others still in the process. And in doing...

A new battery storage facility slated for a lot on the outskirts of Watsonville has some residents on edge after a Jan. 16 fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant, which sent a thick column of black smoke into the air and closed Highway...

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously declared a state of emergency after the Jan. 16 fire at the Vistra battery storage facility in Moss Landing, a move that allows county officials to better respond to the disaster, and to request state...

Hundreds of people came to Santa Cruz Monday to honor Martin Luther King Jr., many waving signs, chanting and singing as they made their way down Pacific Avenue. Their message was one of community, activism and support. Similar marches and events occurred throughout the U.S....

Murry Schekman recently retired from a career in education that spanned nearly a half-century. The former Watsonville High School principal has now penned a book on school leadership, using the experience gleaned from his decades of experience. “It’s a new chapter for me,” he said.  Schekman’s educational...

A new disc golf course has opened in Royal Oaks Park, a project by the Monterey Parks and Lakes Department. Disc golf is a sport where players throw flying discs similar to frisbees into baskets or targets posted across a sprawling course.  The Royal Oaks course...