Local News

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday virtual meeting approved utility rate increases that will raise a typical single-family household’s bill by about $40 per month by 2026. The increases were recommended through a rate study conducted by consultant Raftelis Financial Inc. that said they...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The 2022 State of Oral Health Needs Assessment has revealed the continued massive gap in dental care for low-income residents in Santa Cruz County. The findings are part of a 2022 study conducted by dental healthcare research firm Barbara Aved Associates. They found...

A Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge ruled Tuesday that there is enough evidence that the man who raped and killed 8-year-old Madyson (Maddy) Middleton in 2015 would pose a continued danger to the public if he is released. Adrian Jerry (A.J.) Gonzalez, now 24,...

All 280 California State Parks have been closed to all day use visitors and all vehicles are being turned away during the COVID-19 outbreak. • The first case of COVID-19 was announced in Santa Cruz County on March 6 and now — three weeks later —...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday heard a grim budget report which, while it shows that the district can cover its expenses for the next three years, it also predicts that declining enrollment will severely drain its general fund. PVUSD...

A celebration 90 years in the making is underway at the California Highway Patrol.

WATSONVILLE—Ella’s at the Airport opened at Watsonville Municipal Airport in 2015, and since then has garnered a large following of customers. Owner Ella King, who at the time also owned the popular Cafe Ella, took the building—closed for one year after the previous restaurant was...

Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian

Note: Reporter Tarmo Hannula contributed to this story WATSONVILLE—After nearly three decades with the Watsonville Police Department, Capt. Tony Magdayao has dipped his toes into the quiet waters of retirement. Magdayao was 30 when he joined the department, closing a career that began when he was...