News

MONTEREY COUNTY—Monterey County health officials on Saturday announced the first death of a county resident that had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Officials said the victim was an “adult individual” who had an “underlying health condition” that made them more susceptible to the highly-contagious virus that...

A Watsonville man was arrested for possession an illegal gun early Sunday morning following a traffic stop by the California Highway Patrol. CHP officer Israel Murillo said officers on patrol in Santa Cruz made a traffic stop on a Mercedes for a vehicle code violation....

Watsonville’s newest water infrastructure project is a giant storage tank—a behemoth that stands 35 feet tall, holds 2 million gallons and is expected to help the city maintain its supply during droughts and disasters, when demand is at its peak. A group of city officials...

Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County will mark its 50th anniversary this year, and organizers are selling tickets for a Feb. 13 fundraising luncheon they say is increasingly critical as demand grows and funding pressures mount. The 13th annual Food From the Heart Luncheon...

Tarmo Hannula contributed to this story. Over the decades, California lawmakers, district attorneys, county agricultural commissioners and others tasked with protecting residents have neglected to do so for farmworkers and their families, who are disproportionately affected by dangerous agricultural chemicals. This amounts to years of civil...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday joined other Santa Cruz County municipalities in enacting a moratorium on no-fault evictions until a new state law limiting rent increases and requiring just-cause evictions goes into effect next year. The emergency ordinance passed unanimously with councilwoman Trina Coffman-Gomez...

A new city ordinance restricting where oversized vehicles and trailers can park took effect on March 13. The ordinance prohibits oversized vehicles and all types of trailers—regardless of size—from parking on city streets, alleys, city-owned or maintained parking lots, and other public property. City officials...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Parks and Community Services Director Nick Calubaquib says since he was hired in 2018 that he has seen county officials make a stronger effort to reinvest in South County’s parks. That same year, the County of Santa Cruz finalized its parks strategic plan,...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Law enforcement officials around the county are gearing up in an effort to keep illegal fireworks off the street this summer, as Fourth of July approaches and residents who have been cooped up for months look to blow off steam. Enforcement has become...

WATSONVILLE—Keeping area streets and sidewalks tidy has become more of a chore since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.  An uptick in disposable rubber gloves and all types of masks dumped on the streets has been commonplace since early March. And they’re building up. These items,...