Watsonville man faces manslaughter charges for throwing fatal punch
WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man was arrested Dec. 9 after a man he punched during a fight died one week later.
Jose Figueroa Gonzalez, 30, is facing manslaughter charges for the Dec. 2 fight outside the Burger King restaurant on Main Street at Riverside Drive.
That night, officers...
Unemployment offices overflowing with claims as COVID-19 halts economy
WATSONVILLE—Brian Orozco prides himself in putting his clients at Functional Fitness Training Center through a vigorous workout that challenges them both physically and mentally.
Weaving his way through the Employment Development Board’s system to file an unemployment claim put his strenuous workouts to shame.
He tried...
The Santa Cruz Tattoo Expo & 4 other great upcoming events
Special events
Sip Shop & Shoe Talk (Feb. 29)
Join us for a Fashion Day out with fashion blogger and shoe designer Flor de Maria of Flor de Maria Fashion. Shop from her latest shoe line and save 20 percent. Plus champagne and cupcakes with a discount...
Watsonville Film Festival joins Bay Area organizations for film screening, concert in Plaza
WATSONVILLE—Mexican Independence Day is Sept. 16, and the Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) is teaming up with two Bay Area organizations to bring a celebratory event to the community.
Celebrando La Cultura, to be held Sept. 15-18, will include film, music and dance. It begins with...
Serving up tacos with soul
More than 1,000 people attended the first-ever Summer Soul Festival at Pinto Lake County Park on Sunday.
FEMA center opens to assist Pajaro flood victims
WATSONVILLE—A disaster recovery center opened in downtown Watsonville on Friday to direct Pajaro flood victims to federal relief programs.
The center, operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is open daily (except April 9) from 9am to 7pm at Old City Hall, 250 Main St....
Cabrillo College facing major cuts
Cabrillo College is being forced to cut 70 of its 1,394 classes and $4.5 million from its $89.3 million budget as a result of low attendance and state funding cuts.
The cuts amounting to 5% of its budget and classes came as a surprise this...
Watsonville man dies in Corralitos crash
A 58-year-old Watsonville man died Sunday in a solo-vehicle crash in the hills above Corralitos.
Israel Murillo of the California Highway Patrol said the man, who has not been identified, was driving south on Eureka Canyon Road in a black 2003 GMC Yukon south of...
Photo story: annual Business Expo hits fairgrounds
John Kegebein demonstrates an early day, hand-pump vacuum at the Agricultural History Project's table during the annual Business Expo at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Thursday.
“The businesses and people of the Pajaro Valley came together at the Expo to show what a fabulous...
Drought gets soaking on Central Coast
CENTRAL COAST—Forty percent of Santa Cruz County has now been deemed drought-free due to the rains that have drenched the Central Coast since the year began.
Meanwhile, 17% of California is now out of drought conditions following a federal drought monitoring program’s report Thursday.
The U.S....
Man found with illegal gun
A Watsonville man was arrested for possession an illegal gun early Sunday morning following a traffic stop by the California Highway Patrol.
CHP officer Israel...





















