Local News

Special events Empower Watsonville Conference (Oct. 19) Empower Watsonville is a conference organized by high school students, for high school students. The conference is sponsored by Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance (PVPSA). Based on an open workshop format, the event will start with a formal...

Oct. 25, 2019 Tarmo Hannula: Twelve wildland fires are burning around the state, forcing widespread evacuations, destroying scores of homes and buildings, closing freeways and roads and sending herds of firefighter strike teams to out-of-county responses. In Sonoma County, 21,900 acres have burned in the...

WATSONVILLE—UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia K. Larive made her first visit to Watsonville High School Monday as part of an annual Achieve UC outreach effort. In the Mello Center, she addressed hundreds of students to deliver the message that an education at a University...

WATSONVILLE—Do you ever wonder who or what is controlling the traffic signals when you’re languishing at a seemingly endless red arrow, or the green light that suddenly switches in your favor without having to get near your brake pedal? It’s all run by those metal...

WATSONVILLE—Cabrillo College got its start six decades ago in several condemned buildings in an unused corner of Watsonville High School.  More than 800 freshmen began classes there on Sept. 1, 1959. The community college has since evolved into a mid-county educational centerpiece, serving more than 15,000...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously adopted an ordinance that will require restaurants and stores to charge a 25-cent fee on all single-use cups starting next summer. The move is aimed at reducing the estimated 50 million to-go cups...

Mayor for a Day contest opens Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be the Mayor of a city? Now is your chance to be Mayor for the Day with Watsonville Mayor Francisco “Paco” Estrada.  To be considered, submit a one-page essay to...

Nov. 27, 2019 Tarmo Hannula: Watsonville fire engineer Larry Chin hung up his helmet and boots early this morning for the final time after serving this community for 29 years. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Larry many times with my job, at house...

Watsonville - Friday, December 13, 7:30pm @ Henry Mello Center for the Performing Arts And Featuring the WCB Youth Band The Watsonville Community Band held its first summer Youth Band program in 2016. The success of that program led to its continuation during the school...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency Board of Directors on Dec. 18 voted unanimously to expand its water supply services into an area impacted by seawater intrusion. The initial phase of F-Pipeline Expansion Project will construct additional pipelines to provide supplemental water service to approximately...