News

“This is who I wanted to be; this was my dream and I am where I have always wanted to be,” said Ohlone Elementary School custodian Raúl Gonzales.  He has now put in 42 years at various schools, starting out at Freedom School in 1979....

WATSONVILLE—Hundreds of Watsonville voters in District 2 received a ballot at their home this week, officially kicking off the home stretch of the Dec. 7 special election that will determine who will fill the vacant Watsonville City Council seat. Residents in that district will have...

WATSONVILLE—The third phase of Watsonville Brillante, the massive mosaic project in downtown Watsonville, is taking shape. Splashed across the exterior walls of the six-story Civic Plaza parking garage at Rodriguez and Second streets, the new phase will come in two halves five months apart. Last...

WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man was arrested late Tuesday night after he was caught burglarizing a business on Airport Boulevard. Gabriel Soto-Gonzalez, 41, was charged with burglary, vehicle theft and providing false ID to police. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $25,000...

WATSONVILLE—After months of fundraising during which organizers scraped together more than $65 million, Watsonville Community Hospital will become a now publicly owned entity as of midnight on Sept. 1. The Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHD) signed the paperwork on Wednesday, making the sale official. State...

Chef Jesse Plasencia, executive chef of The Pacheco Club in Monterey, and past board member of Pajaro Valley Loaves & Fishes, will host a pop-up dinner to benefit the nonprofit food pantry and kitchen at El Alteño Restaurant, 323 Main St. in Watsonville,

WATSONVILLE—In a 4-3 vote Tuesday after a marathon six-hour meeting that drew hundreds of people, the Watsonville City Council approved an update to the City’s general plan and a zoning change that will allow Ceiba College Preparatory Academy to remain permanently at its location...

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that order had been restored after a federal operation killed Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” the longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, setting off retaliatory violence in several states. At a news conference, Mexico Security Secretary...

WATSONVILLE—One of the pillars of the Watsonville Fire Department, Capt. Matt Ryan, will soon retire. That means on July 27 a mountain of experience in the world of fire and rescue will walk out the door. It also means a departure of a giant player...

Diane Severin’s teaching career at Watsonville High School spanned more than five decades. She is described as a fierce advocate for equal rights and a loyal friend. She stayed deeply involved in the community throughout her life, took up skeet shooting at 60 and...