Local News

WATSONVILLE—A construction crew replacing a sewer line ruptured a natural gas line Wednesday morning on the 1400 block of Freedom Boulevard, according to Watsonville Fire Division Chief Corey Schaefer. The 10am incident prompted Watsonville firefighters and police to shut down a section of Freedom Boulevard...

Writer, director and actor Steve “Spike” Wong remembers the moment he realized he wanted to tell stories. He was about 5 years old and was riding the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland with his parents. He managed, he said, to convince them that the animatronic...

APTOS—Cabrillo College’s theater arts department is finally returning to in-person performances after three seasons of virtual shows. “Charley’s Aunt” is a wacky farce chock full of love, deception, and confusion. Originally written by English playwright Brandon Thomas in 1862, Cabrillo’s production will be directed by...

A few days ago I rode my bike through downtown Santa Cruz and out by the wharf and the Beach Boardwalk. It was empty. Almost lifeless. Our mostly blue sky was sure a welcome sight Monday. So was the cooler air that drifted in from...

WATSONVILLE—A $6 million loan from the State of California will allow Watsonville to build a new landfill, a move that will save money and give the City a place to haul its waste for as long as three decades. The loan from the California Infrastructure...

The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau (SCCFB) was honored with five County Activities of Excellence Awards, and was a finalist in the statewide Innovator Awards at the California Farm Bureau’s 104th meeting in early December. A local delegation of five attended the annual meeting in...

A 20-year-old Sonora man died early Friday morning when he was struck by a car on Highway 1 in Watsonville. The California Highway Patrol said the man, who has not been named, suddenly walked out onto the slow lane of northbound Highway 1 near Main...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville native Alex Reynoso has not forgotten his hometown. Nor has the Watsonville High School alumnus (class of 1991) backed away from using his talents to change the face of Watsonville. A ribbon cutting is in the works for the start of the new year...

Santa Cruz County officials on Tuesday opened public hearings on a proposed $1.29 billion budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, warning that federal funding cuts, rising labor costs and growing structural deficits are forcing difficult financial decisions in the years ahead. The recommended budget includes...

WATSONVILLE—Yocelyn Gonzalez, a senior at Pajaro Valley High School, shadowed outgoing Watsonville Mayor Francisco “Paco” Estrada and recently seated Mayor Rebecca Garcia on Wednesday after winning the Mayor for the Day essay contest earlier this month. Gonzalez followed the two leaders from 9 a.m. to...