Aptos woman will serve 4 years for involuntary manslaughter
SANTA CRUZ—After an emotional three-hour sentencing hearing Friday that included testimony from friends and family of both suspect and victim, the woman who stabbed her husband to death in their Aptos home in 2019 learned her sentence.
Amanda Owens will spend three years in prison,...
Cabrillo College housing project taking shape
In a little less than a year, Cabrillo College will break ground on a sprawling, multi-story housing project on its Aptos campus, a development that will offer 624 beds for students attending both the college and UC Santa Cruz.
Groundbreaking is estimated to begin in...
Maddy Middleton’s killer pleads guilty, could be released at 25
SANTA CRUZ—The man who was 15 when he kidnapped, raped and murdered 8-year-old Madyson “Maddy” Middleton in 2015 pleaded guilty to the charges on Tuesday, setting the stage for a sentencing that could see him released by the time he is 25.
That is because...
‘Field of dreams’
When Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco was a student at Freedom Elementary School, she remembers running around the playing field, pock-marked as it was by holes and other signs of age and wear.
“I remember dreading it, because when we were done, my knees used to...
Buddhist Temple presents virtual theater production May 22
WATSONVILLE—On May 22 the Watsonville Buddhist Temple will virtually present Hiroshi Kashiwagi’s two-act play “The Betrayed.”
“The Betrayed” centers around a couple living at the Japanese-American concentration camp near Tule Lake, California in the 1940s. They become at odds when the controversial Loyalty Oath is...
Planning Commission approves downtown performing arts studio
WATSONVILLE—In 2020, Arts Council Santa Cruz County formed the Watsonville Stewardship Committee for the Arts to bring resources, build spaces and improve access to the arts for South County residents.
That group of artists, teachers, political leaders and city of Watsonville staff spearheaded the creation...
Photo: Kids test their engineering, science skills in annual egg drop
Belle Espinoza, 10, shows an egg that withstood a four-story drop to the ground Wednesday with her homemade contraption alongside Darren Gertler, Environmental Education Coordinator.
Thirty-two youths took part in the 19th annual Egg Drop competition as part of Engineer’s Week in downtown Watsonville....
All Watsonville events canceled through end of the year
WATSONVILLE—All major City of Watsonville events have been canceled through the end of the year, City Manager Matt Huffaker said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
That includes the annual Spirit of Watsonville Fourth of July Parade, the Watsonville Strawberry Festival and the Wine, Beer and...
Sheriff’s Fentanyl Crisis Response Team uses education, enforcement
After 133 people died in Santa Cruz County in 2023 after overdosing on Fentanyl, the Sheriff’s Office has launched a new way to address the problem, with a special focus on the people who deal the dangerous drug.
The Fentanyl Crisis Response Team includes five...
PVUSD receives $4.1M from feds for internet connectivity improvements
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District is set to receive roughly $4.1 million from the federal government to help its students connect to the internet.
The district is one of 18 institutions throughout the Central Coast that received a portion of the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency...
Ruben Ibarra maintains success in MLB’s minor league system
Ruben Ibarra instantly became a household name for the Chattanooga Lookouts after he was called up to the Cincinnati Reds’ Double-A affiliate two years...
