News

Watsonville-based berry giant Driscoll’s is facing a federal class-action lawsuit alleging the company misled consumers by marketing its conventional strawberries as safe, sustainably grown and subject to rigorous food safety standards while failing to disclose the alleged presence of PFAS-related pesticide compounds, commonly known...

The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation is looking for volunteers to plant flowers for this year’s fair. Every year volunteers help plant more than 2,300 flower starters that will be in full bloom at fair time.  “We will be planting red, white and blue petunias...

The public tests their rhythmic skills alongside members of Watsonville Taiko during the annual Obon Festival in 2025 at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple. The annual event is scheduled for Sunday at noon at 423 Bridge St. The free event includes entertainment, a vendor’s market,...

A June 11 stabbing in Watsonville that left a man injured has now led to a fourth arrest after the investigation led detectives into Arizona. The attack happened on June 11 at the 7-Eleven on the 200 block of East Lake Avenue, where a 46-year-old...

Gisselle Padilla spent much of her childhood translating for her parents, who worked in the strawberry fields after immigrating from Mexico. Years later, she found herself advocating for her own son during Individualized Education Program meetings, frustrated that she often felt unheard and unable to...

Work has started on a lengthy trail for pedestrians and bicyclists along sections of Harkins Slough and Lee roads near Pajaro Valley High School.  Watsonville Principal Patrice Theriot said the City contracted Monterey Peninsula Engineering to construct Phase 1 of the “Lee Road Trail” project.   Designed...

People in six counties around the Bay Area and Watsonville came out on July 3 to voice their disapproval of a federal plan by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to build immigration detention facilities in Gilroy and Dublin.  A crowd of around 20 people...

Recent Watsonville High graduate Azucena Sandoval spent much of her education learning the fundamentals of science she will study this fall at Stanford University. But she rarely got to put those concepts into practical use. That changed in late June when she participated in SkyLab,...

The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday gave final approval to a new camping ordinance creating designated “no-encampment zones,” allowing the city to immediately remove encampments from certain public areas without providing the standard 72-hour notice. The vote marked the ordinance’s second reading, making it final. The...

An at-risk 12-year-old girl who went missing early on the morning of July 6 has been found and is safe. Watsonville Police spokeswoman Erika Vazquez said Santa Cruz Police located her on July 7. Willowwind Crowbear was last seen Monday morning around 1:45am on the...