City Council approves budget as calls for cuts to WPD continue
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a biennial budget that will keep Watsonville Police Department’s staffing at current levels, and invest roughly $7.5 million into a rebuild of Ramsay Park.
The decision came after two dozen people at the virtual meeting echoed a...
Two gang members on parole arrested for weapons violations
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Team arrested two gang members over the past week for weapons violations after parole checks at their residences.
Isaac Urquiza, 21, was arrested Thursday on the 100 block of Sudden Street in Watsonville for being a...
Pajaro Valley High lauds four of its Grizzlies
From the 2025 graduating senior class of Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville, four students shared their high school experiences and plans for after graduation.
Valedictorian Rosario Lopez-Garcia, 17, graduated with a GPA of 4.37.
She plans to attend Stanford University in the fall, where she...
National group urges flood control funding formula changes
The National Association of Counties (NACo) on July 21 voted unanimously to urge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to change the way it funds flood control projects for economically disadvantaged communities.
Currently, the ACOE uses a 1:1 benefit-cost ratio when figuring the feasibility...
Boardwalk to reopen on a limited basis
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will become the first amusement park in California to reopen after Covid-19 restrictions shuttered them statewide earlier this year, Boardwalk spokesman Kris Reyes said.
Rides such as the famous Giant Dipper, which have sat dormant for months, will once...
Temporary protected bike, pedestrian path on Green Valley opens
WATSONVILLE—A temporary protected bike and pedestrian path on Green Valley Road between Amesti Road and Pinto Lake City Park officially opened May 28.
The path, installed by the County of Santa Cruz, serves as a preview for area residents and students of nearby Amesti Elementary School...
Quick-thinking pharmacist thwarts armed robbery
Sometimes, armed robbery does not pay off. A pharmacist was working at the CVS store on Rodriguez Street at about 11:40am on Feb. 4 when a man wearing a ski mask demanded Oxycontin.
But instead of giving the man what he wanted, the pharmacist told...
St. Francis High valedictorians reflect, look ahead | Grads 2021
WATSONVILLE—St. Francis High School (SFHS) was a big part of Maureen Kelly’s life even before she enrolled as a student there.
Her father was a basketball coach for the school, and her older siblings had all attended. So when she arrived, it was like coming...
Photo story: Floodwaters cover Elkhorn Road
After their truck stalled in this flooded section of Elkhorn Road Saturday these men wait for help. Scores of motorists were turned away at...
