Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Health officials across the globe have implemented shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, requiring most people to stay in their homes. But four weeks into Santa Cruz County’s shelter-in-place advisory, advocates of domestic violence victims say that the measures...

When former Watsonville City Councilman Manuel Bersamin retired from his seat in 2012 to care for his ailing 95-year-old mother, The Pajaronian asked him for advice to future council members.  “Try not to speak so much,” he said. “I was sometimes too wordy, but I’ve...

WATSONVILLE—Several new businesses are in the works around Watsonville, all forging ahead despite the looming cloud of the pandemic. A new drive-thru Starbucks in Watsonville Square, a Mexican food restaurant in the historic Mansion House, a panaderia (bakery) on East Fifth Street and a taqueria...

CHP will be on full alert for Memorial Day The California Highway Patrol will conduct a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) starting at 6pm on Friday and continuing through 11:59pm on Monday, which is Memorial Day. During that time, all available CHP officers will be out...

Updated Thursday June 4 at 6pm Across Santa Cruz County elections for state and federal representation Tuesday night, there are few surprises, and a few expected results. As of Thursday afternoon, incumbent Rep. Jimmy Panetta led the 19th Congressional District race with 58.5% of the vote....

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville High School community is reeling from the recent loss of a much-loved mural that graced a wall in the school’s cafeteria for more than three decades. Construction workers refurbishing the cafeteria earlier this year painted over the wall after updating wiring and heating...

Firefighters from multiple agencies deal with an early morning fire in the Vista Montaña housing complex in Watsonville that displaced 10 adults. Watsonville Fire Division Chief Corey Schaefer said the initial call came in at 1am for the fire on the second floor of...

WATSONVILLE—A group of human services leaders officially launched a program created to put homeless people to work, pay them a small stipend and, more importantly, give them a sense of purpose  Under the WatsonvilleWorks! program, which began on Sept. 9, homeless people help clean areas...

President Joe Biden on Monday granted a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of California, a move that triggers the release of federal funds that could help the people and businesses affected by the series of winter storms that have ravaged the Central Coast...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday meeting signed off on an agreement with Pajaro Valley Arts for the sale of the historic Porter Building in downtown Watsonville. In a deal some two years in the making, PV Arts will pay the city $1.15 million...