CHP arrests man in Prunedale projectile attacks case
SALINAS–Law enforcement officials have arrested a man suspected of using a slingshot to shoot glass marbles at dozens of vehicles traveling on highways 156 and 101 in Prunedale and San Benito County since February.
Charles Kenneth Lafferty, 52, has been charged with 21 felony counts,...
Dead woman was stung multiple times
A woman who was found dead in a stand of bushes along Harkins Slough Friday morning suffered multiple stings by either bees or yellowjackets before her death, Watsonville Police Sgt. Brian Ridgway said.
High school football ‘back on track’ for this weekend
APTOS—The high school football season is back on track, for now, as Santa Cruz County superintendents released updated guidance for outdoor high-contact sports that won’t require teams to test for Covid-19 moving forward.
Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Michelle Rodriguez was notified on...
Cabrillo Stage returns with outdoor performance series
Cabrillo Stage’s Summer Musical Festival is back.
The theater company is returning after a year of shutdowns due to Covid-19 with a series of live performances in July. Everything from a Big Band concert to a production of “Pirates of Penzance” will be held at...
Photo: Traffic blocks go up at Kmart property
A crew from Vacant Property Security installs one of several traffic blocks in the parking lot of the former Kmart on Freedom Boulevard.
On Oct. 12, the Watsonville City Council started the process of declaring the abandoned property a public nuisance due to illegal...
Public invited to participate in countywide cleanup day
On May 10, people are expected to gather in more than 60 locations to participate in the second-annual Pitch In All Santa Cruz Cleanup Day.
Last year’s event drew more than 430 volunteers, who removed in excess of 1,500 pounds of trash from local neighborhoods,...
WHS Drama returns to the stage
The Watsonville High School (WHS) Drama Department had been preparing for a production of the musical “Matilda” in March 2020 when everything was shut down by the pandemic.
For three semesters, students were unable to return to the stage for performances, instead taking acting, tech...
LGBTQ resolution stirs controversy in PVUSD meeting
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District on Wednesday approved a resolution proclaiming October as LGBTQ+ History Month, a move that garnered unanimous approval from the board members in attendance and support from people at the meeting.
Trustee Jennifer Schacher, who worked to fly LGBTQ flags...
Supervisors oppose federal voter ID laws
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to voice their opposition to proposed federal legislation that would require voter ID and retool voter eligibility requirements nationwide, which County Clerk Tricia Weber says would make it harder for many U.S. citizens...
Restoration of iconic Watsonville High mural begins
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville High School community last year was shaken when a beloved three-decades old mural on the wall of the school’s cafeteria was painted over during a construction project.
The move, directed by site administration and the district facilities department, outraged the artists involved in...





















