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Watsonville
July 4, 2025

Watsonville Police officer caps 29-year career

Watsonville police officer Kraig Kliewer
After a career in law enforcement that spanned nearly three decades, with assignments that included the downtown walking beat, Watsonville Police Officer Kraig Kliewer hung up his hat Wednesday, with a send-off from his colleagues. Kliewer says he wanted to be a police officer for...

Fired-up art show coming to PV Arts

pv arts susana arias Judy stabile
“Out of the Fire” is the latest art exhibit to showcase at the Pajaro Valley Arts Sudden Street Gallery. More than 55 artists are in the show with artwork that was created or affected by fire, such as a kiln, welding, blown glass and...

Young firefighter plans to return to Watsonville

Arielle Bennet Watsonville fire academy
While she can’t quite remember what sparked her interest, Arielle Bennet has known she wanted to be a firefighter since she was a small child. Bennet, 18, has been a part of the Watsonville Fire Youth Academy since last year, and now serves as advisor...

Briefs: East Beach Street work; handball tournament

east beach street road work caldrons
​​Handball Tournament is this weekend The Watsonville Handball Tournament will be held Saturday and Sunday at Emmett Court, 37 Sudden St., behind the PV Arts gallery. Singles take place on Saturday, with doubles on Sunday. Matches start at 10am. The grand prize is $900. The player entry fee...

Daley hired as director of Meals on Wheels

Darren Daley
Community Bridges hired Darren Daley to take over as program director for Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County when Lisa Berkowitz caps off her four-decade career with the program in August.   Daley earned his Master of Public Administration in International Management from the Middlebury...

PHOTO: Indoor blaze ignites at Las Lomas mushroom farm

las lomas mushroom farm fire
Heavy smoke pours out of a mushroom farm in Las Lomas Tuesday at 4:15pm where indoor equipment caught fire. Jess Mendoza, Battalion Chief with North Monterey County, said firefighters got a quick handle on the blaze at 415 Hall Road. No injuries were reported...

Man found dead in vehicle in Aptos

sirens
Law enforcement officials are investigating a suspicious death after a man was found dead in a vehicle in Aptos early Tuesday morning. According to California Highway Patrol Officer Israel Murillo, officers responded to the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center parking lot on the corner of...

Major injuries reported in Riverside Drive crash

riverside drive walker street crash
A man was seriously injured and a woman and two children suffered minor to moderate injuries in a two-vehicle crash Sunday on Riverside Drive. Watsonville Police Officer Javier Ayala said the man was driving a Honda Civic south on Walker Street with a woman and...

Filmmaker, Watsonville native seeking hometown talent

gabriel medina
Filmmaker and Watsonville High School alumnus Gabriel Medina already has several independent Hollywood-level movies on his resume, with various roles including writer, producer and director.  He recently earned his MFA from University of Southern California’s famed Peter Stark Producing Program, and has now returned to...

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office holds active shooter drills

active shooter drill san lorenzo valley unified school district
For five days last week, Watsonville Police Department officers joined police, firefighters and medical professionals from around the county—and beyond—in active shooter training, running through policies and live scenarios at the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District tri-campus in Felton. Sgt. Mish Radich, who headed...
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What Makes Watsonville Community Hospital—and America—Great

Thirty-three years ago, while my family was preparing for a birthday party, I decided to arrive early. My mother was shopping for a cake...