Fire at Circle Church possibly arson
Santa Cruz Fire Department investigators believe that a fire that broke out Tuesday inside the former Garfield Park Church was deliberately set, the department announced on Facebook.
According to SCFD, firefighters responded to multiple calls of smoke and flames seen at the now-closed church—also known...
Multiple shots fired into vehicle, two detained, gun recovered
Two suspects were detained Tuesday in Watsonville on suspicion of firing off a string of shots from a gun into a car.
Watsonville Police said the incident unfolded at the corner of Bridge and Secoya streets in the Vista Montaña housing complex around 2:30pm.
Multiple witnesses...
Campaign begins for Watsonville Hospital’s Measure N
The governing body that oversees Watsonville Community Hospital has brought the institution back from bankruptcy and the brink of closure since it gained control of the institution last year, and restored local control after years of corporate mismanagement.
But with a lasting $6.7 million debt...
Spreading Christmas cheer
Hundreds of cars slowly filed through the annual Christmas Giveaway put on by Casa de la Cultura in Pajaro on Tuesday.
In collaboration with a list of supporting groups, organizers aim to bolster low-income residents, especially farmworkers, during the holidays, with food, clothing, wrapped gifts,...
Honoring the homeless who died this year
About seven years ago, Marie Riggs was living in a homeless shelter and addicted to alcohol, wondering how she would survive this low point in her life.
“I was a hopeless mess,” she said. “I had no idea how to live, I didn’t know how...
Santa Cruz County welcomes new Superior Court judge
More than 100 people gathered in Santa Cruz County Superior Court on Dec. 15 to watch the swearing-in of its newest judge, Erika Ziegenhorn, who formerly served as a prosecutor in the District Attorney’s office.
Attendees included prosecutors, defense attorneys, Superior Court judges, county workers...
Watsonville Hospital’s former owners ‘grossly negligent,’ face lawsuit
The former owners of Watsonville Community Hospital are facing a lawsuit alleging that they took more than $3.9 million for their own use, and that their mismanagement led the hospital to bankruptcy and to the brink of financial ruin.
Halsen Healthcare was removed from its...
Quiroz-Carter, Orozco second female duo to hold mayor, vice-mayor positions in Watsonville
When Vanessa Quiroz-Carter and Maria Orozco were sworn in Tuesday as Watsonville’s mayor and vice mayor, it marked the second time in the city’s history that women held both top spots.
The last time was in 2019, when Rebecca Garcia and Trina Coffman-Gomez served in...
Santa Cruz County grappling with millions in unpaid federal disaster relief
Santa Cruz County officials are considering a plan to borrow money to help pay for costs of the CZU fires, the Covid pandemic, the storms and floods from early 2023 and other federal disasters that have beset the county.
County staff will return to the...
Students learn the power of the vote at Civics Summit
On Friday, about 150 high school juniors from across Santa Cruz County cast their first ballots on three issues that, if passed, would dramatically...
