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Watsonville
January 11, 2026

Watsonville honors the Virgin of Guadalupe

WATSONVILLE—A large gathering of people celebrated the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe the Virgin Mary Sunday at Pinto Lake County Park. Based on Catholic tradition, the virgin appeared to a young boy, Juan Diego, in Mexico in 1531. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe...

Judge approves sale of Watsonville Hospital to health care district

Watsonville Hospital
WATSONVILLE—A federal judge on Wednesday approved the sale of Watsonville Community Hospital to the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District (PVHD), ending the chapter of a story in which the facility was at imminent risk of closure, and beginning another of local ownership. Judge Elaine Hammond of...

County sues pharmaceutical companies

The County of Santa Cruz has filed a complaint against several pharmaceutical corporations, alleging that they are complicit in fueling the national opioid crisis.

PHOTO: International Festival draws a crowd

Crowds gathered in downtown Watsonville Sunday for the 18th annual St. Patrick's International Festival.

Watsonville’s policing committee releases report, readies recommendations

Watsonville police
WATSONVILLE—After more than 30 meetings over the past eight months, the Watsonville Ad Hoc Committee on Policing and Social Equity on Aug. 4 released its final report to the public before its final meeting on Aug. 21. For Watsonville City Councilman Francisco “Paco” Estrada a...

Tree lighting ceremony kicks off city’s winter festivities

Watsonville tree lighting
WATSONVILLE—As Santa Claus waved to the crowd of kids and parents running through the Watsonville City Plaza to meet him at Sunday’s tree lighting ceremony, the early day fire engine that carried him down Main Street and to the front of the city’s downtown...

Watsonville honors outgoing council, swears in new members

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville bade goodbye to three outgoing members on Tuesday, two of them longtime leaders with decades of combined experience between them.  Lowell Hurst and Rebecca Garcia served for years on the council, including stints as mayor. Francisco “Paco” Estrada was elected in...

Sunday forum will discuss pesticide alternatives | News Briefs

Campaign for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture
The Campaign for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture (CORA) is organizing a forum about alternatives to pesticides. CORA is a grassroots organization of residents living in Pajaro Valley and Monterey Bay, dedicated to creating a more environmentally friendly agriculture system. Speakers at the forum will discuss...

Arrest made in Capitola fatal hit-and-run

sirens
Capitola Police arrested a 58-year-old woman Dec. 1 on suspicion of being the driver in a hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian on Nov. 18. “Capitola Police Officers successfully located and arrested Aurora Lopez, a 58-year-old resident of Soquel,” Capitola Police said in a statement....

About Town, Week of Oct. 21

Oct. 25, 2019 Tarmo Hannula: Twelve wildland fires are burning around the state, forcing widespread evacuations, destroying scores of homes and buildings, closing freeways and roads and sending herds of firefighter strike teams to out-of-county responses. In Sonoma County, 21,900 acres have burned in the...
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Teen arrested after chase

A routine traffic stop turned into a chase late Tuesday night that ended with the arrest of a 17-year-old suspected gang member and the...