News

As part of major renovations and improvements at St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish in downtown Watsonville, the historic brick structure, at Main Street and Freedom Boulevard, was wrapped up in dramatic black and yellow material Tuesday to allow for termite control. A crew from Best Care...

Agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted a raid on a Santa Cruz residence early Friday morning as part of an “ongoing criminal investigation,” DHS spokesman Richard Rocha said.

SANTA CRUZ—Nearly five years after Michael Escobar allegedly gunned down a rival gang member and killed a young girl in the crossfire, his case is finally being presented to a jury. Jurors heard opening arguments Tuesday in the case that is likely to take at...

SOQUEL—The Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs' Association (DSA) has offered a $100,000 “challenge” grant to help fund a memorial for Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was killed on duty on June 6, 2020. The grant is the largest donation in the organization’s history. The DSA now...

A piece of Watsonville’s history was torn to the ground Monday as a wrecking crew demolished the Taqueria Mi Tierra restaurant on Freedom Boulevard.  The building was once a popular A&W drive-in restaurant, Rosa’s Mexican restaurant and Mi Tierra until they closed last year.  Plans now...

CENTRAL COAST—Monterey and Santa Cruz counties were reporting the highest Covid-19 positivity rates in the Bay Area region Friday, according to data reported by the California Department of Public Health. The positivity rate in Monterey County was 23.2%. In Santa Cruz County it was 18.5%,...

House and Garden of the Month | July, 2019.

SOUTH COUNTY—Saying that the outages South Santa Cruz County’s rural residents have experienced “are not acceptable,” Pacific, Gas and Electric Company representatives told the public Thursday that they are currently adjusting equipment throughout the area in hopes of lessening the length and occurrence of...

A new phase of the massive outdoor mural project, Watsonville Brillante, was unveiled recently along the Rodriguez Street side of the six-floor parking structure. Around 60 mosaic panels make up phase seven of the 10-phase project that features themes of Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Norway,...

SANTA CRUZ—A woman who stole a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office cruiser and then struck a deputy in an attempt to escape arrest three years ago was sentenced Friday to 16 years in state prison. Jessica May Lowe, 30, has been held without bail in...