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February 16, 2026

Community briefs, March 15, 2019

Community briefs, March 15, 2019

Big rig tears off hydrant, geyser erupts in downtown Watsonville

west beach street geyser fire hydrant
A powerful geyser of water blasted into the sky at Main and West Beach streets for more than five hours Monday after a big rig knocked over a fire hydrant just past 10am. The stream of water gushing from the ground was so strong that...

City Council, D6: Next Mayor to be determined in November

Dutra Gomez city council
Editor’s note: This is the first entry in a series of interviews with candidates running for office in the upcoming local elections. Interviewees will include candidates for the Watsonville City Council, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, the Pajaro Valley Water...

New development fee will fund public art in Watsonville

Watsonville public comment
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council approved a new developer fee that it hopes will jump-start an arts renaissance in a city that has for decades struggled to find funding and space for the arts. If approved at an upcoming second reading, the fee will require developers—both...

Spanish-language novel delves into canning strike

Author Graydon Miller says he’s been working on his latest novel on-and-off-again for over three decades. It began in July 1985, when a number of Latina workers at Watsonville Canning went on strike, protesting sudden wage cuts and reduced health benefits. The workers, represented by...

Another PVUSD bond measure might be on the horizon

PVUSD Bond
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday received an update on various Measure L projects, some of which were completed over the past few months. The presentation included the completion of the long-awaited Pajaro Valley High School sports complex, and the...

Monterey County issues guidelines for farmworkers during COVID-19 outbreak

Farmworkers COVID-19 protections
MONTEREY COUNTY—The Monterey County Agriculture Commissioner’s Office, Supervisors Luis Alejo and Chris Lopez, along with Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, Monterey County Farm Bureau, Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association, Coastal Growers Association and California Strawberry Commission recently released a model Advisory for Agriculture...

Federal investigation into fatal plane collision underway

watsonville municipal airport crash investigation
WATSONVILLE—The National Transportation Safety Board has begun its investigation into a Thursday mid-air collision between two airplanes above Watsonville Municipal Airport that killed three people and one dog. NTSB Airsafety Investigator Fabian Salazar said during a Friday afternoon press conference that the probe into the...

Small business lifeline | About Town

A painting crew has been busy adding a fresh coat of paint and a new look Thursday and Friday to the long-standing Beach Street Cafe on West Beach Street. Help is on the way for small businesses hit by sweeping closures, layoffs, and downsizing because...

Reward offered in Pleasure Point kidnapping case

Tushar Atre arrest
SANTA CRUZ — A group of citizens is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the kidnapping and murder of Santa Cruz County resident Tushar Atre. The information must be received no later than Nov. 30. Atre was kidnapped on Oct. 1...
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Body identified as missing woman

A woman’s body recovered on Jan. 18 in the area of Smith Grade and Moore Ranch Road has been identified as 73-year-old Jeanne Burke,...