Local News

The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday will consider appointing Tamara Vides as its new City Manager. Vides served as interim City Manager in 2021 and more recently in April.  She has held various positions during her 15-year career with the city. This includes Deputy City Manager...

A new series of murals has been installed at Pinto Lake County Park, with the goal of encouraging more visitors to the park and showcasing local art.  The murals are part of the Art Hike Challenge, organized by County Parks Friends (CPF). Guests can download...

WATSONVILLE—A newly-hired Watsonville Police Officer was arrested Aug. 20 in an off-duty incident in South Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Tyler Leroy Stephens is accused of physically assaulting a man and vandalizing two slot machines.   The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said that Stephens called 911, saying he...

(Pajaronian reporter Tarmo Hannula contributed to this story. — Editor) WATSONVILLE—Bill Neighbors, whose proclivity to help and to improve his community extended into nearly every aspect of Watsonville civic life—and whose lifelong career of volunteerism led him to be dubbed “Mr. Watsonville” by those who...

WATSONVILLE—Tony’s Auto Service, nestled in a crunch of busy shops and the ebb and flow of Freedom Boulevard traffic, has been a staple auto repair spot in Watsonville for the past 26 years. If it’s new wiper blades, a smog check or full-blown valve job...

WATSONVILLE—A 46-year-old man is in critical condition after being shot early Saturday morning near the Pajaro River levee on Walker Street, an area that has seen two other shootings in recent months. Watsonville Police Department officers were dispatched to the end of Walker Street near...

WATSONVILLE—About a dozen nonprofit leaders and community advocates asked the Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday meeting to address the city’s mounting homelessness issues that have been further compounded by a recent rainstorm. Among the concerns brought forth to the elected leaders: an increase in...

SANTA CRUZ—The man who investigators say stabbed his girlfriend to death at her apartment on Clifford Avenue in July pleaded not guilty Tuesday during a brief hearing. Alberto Scalant, 33, returns to court for his preliminary hearing on Nov. 17. He is being held in...

The City of Capitola has temporarily closed its wharf after high winter surf damaged two supportive piles on New Year’s Day. Engineers who inspected the damage—which occurred underneath the small boat hoist—installed a steel beam that spans the failed area on Saturday so the hoist...

WATSONVILLE—A project seven years in the making, the 112-room Hampton Inn & Suites opened its doors Monday morning on Lee Road in Watsonville. The four-story hotel flanks a new Starbucks coffee house and a newly opened Arco gas station and AM/PM mini market, all under...