Local News

The City of Watsonville officially welcomed its new Fire and Police chiefs at the City Council meeting Tuesday. With the chambers swarmed with family, friends and city staff,  Brian Shab—with more than 27 years of public safety experience and fresh from his role as assistant...

Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez formally launched his reelection campaign for District 4 on Jan. 29, citing a record of infrastructure improvements, park development and flood protection efforts during a kickoff event attended by community members and local leaders. The South County event marked...

Santa Cruz County can now apply for roughly $13.7 million in federal disaster recovery funds for “urgent need” infrastructure repairs and mitigation projects tied to the 2023 winter storms. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a resolution authorizing county officials to...

The folks at the Santa Cruz County Fair have chosen a theme for the 2026 fair: “Apple Pies and Starry Skies!” “This winning theme for the 2026 Santa Cruz County Fair, set for September 16-20, evokes both nostalgia and hopefulness for the future, a classic...

Pajaro Valley Trustee Gabe Medina will be prohibited from entering the PV High campus for two weeks.  In a tense Wednesday meeting characterized by arguments amongst board members, callouts from the audience and multiple calls for recess, Medina’s fellow board members agreed to issue him...

The public got a chance to hear Watsonville artist Yermo Aranda talk about his lengthy contributions to the art world on Jan. 31 at a talk at the Santa Cruz Art League.  Aranda and about 60 guests sat in the center of the current exhibit,...

Santa Cruz Burger Week returns for its ninth year next month, offering diners a chance to sample creative takes on a classic favorite. The 12-day event, presented by Santa Cruz Restaurant Week and Good Times, runs Feb. 25 through March 8 and features specially priced...

The new Capitola Avenue overcrossing at Highway 1 opened to the public last week after a two-year closure.  The heavily-used corridor for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians between Soquel and Capitola villages is the first completed component of the Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes and Bus-on-Shoulder Project...

When the 2026-27 school year begins in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, all 17 elementary schools will be without assistant principals. The positions, also referred to as academic coordinators, play an essential role at elementary schools, often handling behavioral issues and other student-centered concerns,...