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Watsonville
April 19, 2026

Railbanking initiative heads to June ballot

rail trail
SANTA CRUZ—The fate of Santa Cruz County’s rail line is now in the hands of the voters. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-0 to place on the June 7 ballot an initiative which, if successful, would amend Santa Cruz County’s...

Climate of Hope forum returns May 26

WATSONVILLE—In spring 2018 Watsonville nonprofit Regeneración: Pajaro Valley Climate Action held a special event to announce results of a landmark community survey.  The event brought together a number of agencies and residents, and its success prompted the organization to kickstart an annual forum, aiming to...

Watsonville nursing facility sees 27 Covid-19 cases

Watsonville post acute care
WATSONVILLE—A total of 27 residents and six staff members of Watsonville Post Acute Center have tested positive for Covid-19 since July 19, and the facility has enacted several safety and infection protocols to try to combat the virus’ spread. The most recent cases—two patients—were announced...

Arts Now working with districts to spark students’ creativity

WATSONVILLE—As lunchtime drew to a close Wednesday, fourth- and fifth-grade students at Starlight Elementary School began to gradually filter into the classroom of art teacher Meredith Branan Freeman. They were there to learn about stop-motion animation and create their own movies. Some students worked individually,...

Sheriff’s deputies to crack down on prohibited gatherings

beaches covid-19
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The shelter-in-place order imposed on March 31 by Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel allows activities such as walking, hiking, bicycling and running. Anyone participating in those activities must comply with social distancing requirements, and large gatherings are prohibited. Health officials say...

Hundreds attend annual MLK march

SANTA CRUZ—Hundreds of people filled the streets of downtown Santa Cruz Monday to participate in the third-annual Martin Luther King march, an event co-sponsored by the NAACP and the Santa Cruz Police Department. “This is a business model of the Santa Cruz Police Department,” said...

Criminal Justice Council report shows law agencies aligned

Santa Cruz county budget cuts
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—All of the county’s four city police agencies—and the Sheriff’s Office—have similar policies when it comes to use of force and releasing of information to the public, according to a report released in November by the Criminal Justice Council of Santa Cruz...

Earthquake strikes near Corralitos hours after Gilroy quake

watsonville earthquake
WATSONVILLE—An 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck Corralitos around 10am Saturday, just hours after a 2.6-magnitude earthquake shook Gilroy around 11pm on Friday. According to the United States Geological Survey, the quakes' epicenters were near the San Andreas Fault line. On social media, several people said that they...

Balancing act | Photo Gallery

Do you have a recent photo you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to [email protected] or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the...

Several fires force mass evacuations, char thousands of acres in Santa Cruz mountains

CZU August Lightning Complex
UPDATE (Aug. 21, 6:33am) Firefighters and law enforcement officers were pulled away for three separate rescue incidents to save residents who were trying to protect their homes from the CZU August Lightning Complex fires, which have now charred 50,000 acres, or roughly 78 square miles,...
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Man shot on Freedom Boulevard Friday night

A man was taken to a trauma center Friday night after he was shot in the head while driving along Freedom Boulevard. According to radio...

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