News

NIGHT BLAZE Firefighters from around the Pajaro Valley stage a battle against a fire that erupted in a single-story home on the 100 block of DeLaney Road in Watsonville Saturday night. The fire was reported just after 9pm after several callers reported two loud...

WATSONVILLE—In the past two years, Pajaro Valley Unified School District students have shown growth in state assessments in English and Math, placing just below the national average. The district’s third, fourth and fifth-graders showed double-digit growth in their English language arts tests, while fourth and...

In the half-century since its inception, Renaissance High School has offered students a small, specialized serene environment for students who need to make up missing credits, and for those with difficulty fitting into a traditional school.  The remote location and small class sizes help many...

In 2007 local fashion designer Sindy Hernandez opened Queen’s Shoes & More, a small boutique featuring a mix of her own and other designers’ clothing and accessories.  Hernandez gradually gained a loyal following of customers. And 15 years later, many of them remain, some becoming...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Hundreds gathered Wednesday for Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller’s memorial at Cabrillo College under brilliant sunny skies. Gutzwiller, a former Cabrillo student and Aptos resident, was gunned down while on duty June 6 in Ben Lomond. The event began at 7:45am with...

AROMAS—An Oakland man is in custody following a string of crimes that included an armed robbery of the Mobil Gas Station in Aromas on Oct. 22.  During the robbery, at 2961 San Juan Road, a store clerk was held at gunpoint while cash was taken...

Framing construction is underway on The Hideout restaurant that sustained massive damage in a fire in May 2019. Workers from Costa Bella Builders are continuing work on the exterior walls of the eatery, which is nestled beneath a canopy of redwoods at 9051 Soquel...

NEW BRIGHTON STATE BEACH—A Watsonville man died Thursday morning after he reportedly fell off of a towering cliff at New Brighton State Beach. Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said Edward Murillo-Jimenez, 32, was pronounced dead at the base of the cliff. A hiker...

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville was one of the first municipalities in the Monterey Bay to close down its network of recreational centers to slow the spread of COVID-19.  It was also one of the first to reengineer its recreation department for the shelter-in-place era, which...

WATSONVILLE—Second Harvest Food Bank has a new leader. The organization on Thursday announced that Erica Padilla-Chavez will take the helm as CEO in July after Willy Elliot-McCrea retires, and as the organization celebrates its 50th anniversary. In accepting the position, Padilla-Chavez will leave her post as...