Local News

Mireya Gomez-Contreras (upper left, speaking), deputy director of the Arts Council Santa Cruz County, welcomes guests and dignitaries to a meet and greet mixer March 2 put on by the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture at the Watsonville Center for the Arts....

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A rainstorm predicted to begin Thursday morning is expected to douse the Central Coast, raising new concerns for flooding in parts of Santa Cruz County. The storm is expected to last through Friday afternoon, bringing an estimated 2 to 3 inches in the...

CAPITOLA—Two people were arrested Monday night on 41st Avenue on suspicion of running a rampant theft ring. Ashley Keehn, spokeswoman for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies spotted a vehicle at CVS on 41st Avenue that was suspected to be involved in an...

WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville woman died in a two-vehicle crash late Saturday night on Holohan Road in Watsonville. According to California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo, Breanna Romero, 26, was driving north in a 2015 Hyundai Elantra around 10:20pm. The driver of a  Volvo XC90 was traveling...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police seized 16 firearms from 12 different cases in February. “The list of guns seized by Watsonville Police officers keeps growing,” said Michelle Pulido, spokeswoman for WPD. “Most of these guns were used to commit some sort of crime in Watsonville and were in...

CENTRAL COAST—Forty percent of Santa Cruz County has now been deemed drought-free due to the rains that have drenched the Central Coast since the year began. Meanwhile, 17% of California is now out of drought conditions following a federal drought monitoring program’s report Thursday. The U.S....

WATSONVILLE—The art of Juan R. Fuentes, a Watsonville High graduate, is the feature of the latest Pajaro Valley Arts exhibit, “Resilience: Works of Strength and Dignity 2023.” The body of over 50 works in woodcut, linocut, linocut/screenprint and screenprint—plus more than two dozen posters—spans Fuentes’...

The Friends of Watsonville Park and Community Services and the City of Watsonville are requesting nominations for their 21st Annual Cesar E. Chavez Community Awards.  This event will recognize individuals, organizations and businesses who engage Watsonville youth and empower them to help contribute to their...

APTOS—The Cabrillo College Foundation received the largest estate gift in its history from the late Tom Sourisseau, a former faculty member who died at the end of 2021.  The Anatomy instructor left $2.5 million in his estate plans that will support biology scholarships and faculty...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Since its inception last year, more than 100 people have gone through Santa Cruz County’s Neighborhood Courts program, with 90 completing the requirements set out in their agreements and avoiding a permanent criminal record. Now, the program is looking for a team of...