49 F
Watsonville
February 16, 2026

California propositions cover several issues

Editor’s note: This is the first entry in a series that will break down the California Propositions going to voters in the Nov. 3 election.  California voters will make a decision on 12 propositions in the upcoming election. The initiatives cover various issues, including the...

Works by Scotts Valley artist now showing at county building

Twenty-four oil paintings by Scotts Valley artist Shirley Lehner-Rhodes are currently showing at the Santa Cruz County Building, 701 Ocean St.  A professional artist and art instructor, Lehner-Rhodes primarily works in watercolors and oils. Her ongoing series of paintings are figurative works in landscapes, local...

Mariners cap season with unblemished record | HS football

SANTA CRUZ—Aptos High posted a 42-0 win against Santa Cruz High in a scrimmage at Memorial Field on April 16.  The game was scheduled as a regular season Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League game, but officials never showed up. The game did not count as...

Complaints about homelessness mount in Watsonville

Watsonville Homelessness
WATSONVILLE—On many days, when groups of school kids crowd into Conchita’s Ice Cream in Plaza Vigil for an afternoon treat, handfuls of people experiencing homelessness show up, some pushing shopping carts loaded with their possessions through the store and others demanding free items. The people,...

Food Truck Tours: The best taco in the county?

This edition features a food truck that many have recommended since I started this series two months ago.

Camaraderie of artists

Twenty Watsonville artists are participating in the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County’s Open Studios, up from 12 in 2016, according to Open Studios and Events Director Ann Ostermann.

Sheriff’s Office: man set occupied house ablaze

Ryan Lee Brand
SANTA CRUZ—A Santa Cruz man was arrested Saturday after allegedly setting a house on fire while people were still inside. Ryan Lee Brand, 45, was charged with attempted murder and arson. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail, jail...

Water main work heads up Beach Street

A major water main replacement job has begun on West Beach Street as part of the ongoing citywide Water Main Replacement Program. Patrice Theriot, the city’s principal engineer, said work got underway on West Beach last week between Rodriuez and Main streets, leading to the...

Permits for hotel project expire, distribution centers planned for Manabe-Ow

Watsonville Hilton Hotel
WATSONVILLE—Plans to build a four-story, 80-room hotel at the busy intersection of Main Street and Freedom Boulevard have once again stalled. Watsonville Community Development Department Director Suzi Merriam says that the permits granted to the developer, Kamalesh Patel, expired last fall. If the project is...

Newsom says California fires have charred 771K acres

Gavin Newsome
By Jake Pierce, Good Times News Editor Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that California’s firefighting crews are now trying to suppress 560 fires, most of them stemming from dry lightning strikes that first began Aug. 16. Statewide, 771,000 acres—an area the size of Rhode Island—have burned...
7,695FansLike
4,949FollowersFollow
2,895FollowersFollow

Body identified as missing woman

A woman’s body recovered on Jan. 18 in the area of Smith Grade and Moore Ranch Road has been identified as 73-year-old Jeanne Burke,...