Local News

WATSONVILLE—A sweeping drug and weapons bust centered on the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, and headed up by the FBI resulted in the arrest of scores of suspects over the past few weeks, including an arrest in Watsonville Wednesday. At a press conference Thursday the FBI was...

WATSONVILLE—Plans for long awaited renovations to the Ramsay Park soccer fields are moving forward, Parks and Community Services Department (PCS) Director Nick Calubaquib said at Monday night’s Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. Watsonville City Manager Matt Huffaker has asked Calubaquib’s department to seek bids for...

This summer, the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) will celebrate its 25th Anniversary.  While the museum has been shuttered for most of the pandemic, staff has stayed connected to the community through outdoor exhibits, social media engagement and other projects. No one...

By Ford Kanzler, Special to the Pajaronian The pandemic and the business closures that have come with it have hit many Watsonville residents hard. Two local institutions have stepped up to soften the blow. After schools closed in mid-March of last year, Pajaro Valley Unified...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Four new battery-electric buses will be ready to roll through the county by fall 2021 as part of METRO’s public transportation fleet. The first two electric buses of the quartet will be used for the Zero-Emission Watsonville Circulator Operating Project. Through the project,...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—When the pandemic hit one year ago, the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) was forced to shut down its Healthy Pets For All (HPFA) program, which offered residents free pop-up veterinary clinics. During the first months of the crisis, SCCAS found ways...

Labor and labor-related issues continue to get center stage attention from the Reel Work May Day Film Festival as it moves into its 20th year. Thanks to a body of volunteers, the festival, already out of the gates in its 2021 season, is still...

WATSONVILLE—The city of Watsonville this coming fiscal year will use nearly $5 million in Measure D and Senate Bill 1 funds to move forward on several road improvement projects within city limits. The list of projects, approved 6-0 by the City Council Tuesday, includes a...

MONTEREY COUNTY—The winding and hilly Highway 1 with dramatic views of the rocky Pacific shore of California has reopened after being severed by a powerful storm in January. Caltrans spokesperson Colin Jones said that Highway 1 at Rat Creek in Monterey County opened one week...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at a special meeting Friday evening passed a resolution expressing support for the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s (RTC) business plan for construction and operation of a passenger rail line along the 32-mile stretch from Davenport to Pajaro. The resolution...