Central Coast fires begin to clear
Firefighters now have 91% containment on the Dolan Fire in the Big Sur area. It has burned 124,924 acres and destroyed 14 homes. The fire began Aug. 18.
This morning our reporter Todd Guild and I drove up into the San Lorenzo Valley to Boulder...
Covid-19 testing sites still scarce in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Obtaining a Covid-19 test in Watsonville is still a challenge for some, as long waits and limited options are plaguing those that might have been exposed and are asymptomatic but need a test to find out if they can safely return to work.
The OptumServe...
Santa Cruz’s Charlie Hong Kong serves lunch to local farmworkers
WATSONVILLE—About two dozen farmworkers settled in on picnic tables at a Lakeside Organic Gardens field Wednesday for a fresh, healthy lunch featuring the very crops they harvest.
The meal was prepared by Charlie Hong Kong, a Santa Cruz Asian fusion restaurant that was Lakeside’s first...
Strawberry Commission reports healthy fruit, high demand
According to the California Strawberry Commission, about 90% of all strawberries in the U.S. are grown in California.
The fruit thrives in the state, due to its need for year-round moderate weather, which allows its roots to grow strong and stable.
On the Central Coast, consistent...
Large affordable housing project receives county approval
WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the construction of an 80-unit affordable housing complex between Atkinson Lane and Brewington Avenue that could break ground early next year.
The project, a part of a multiphase development plan approved some two decades...
Watsonville City Council appoints Tamara Vides as interim city manager
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council appointed Tamara Vides to serve as the interim city manager in a special meeting on Tuesday night.
Vides, an employee of the city of Watsonville for 23 years, will step into the role on Dec. 15, the day after outgoing City...
Plans for organic farm at Watsonville Airport nixed
WATSONVILLE—Plans by a local grower to transform a small plot of land owned by Watsonville Municipal Airport into an organic farm have come to an abrupt end.
Adrian Mondragon, who owns Urban Organics, says he was evicted from the property in September after he and...
County’s Capital Improvement Plan includes upgrades for Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—In early December, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved next year’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), a 188-page list of projects the county hopes to complete or move forward on over the next five years.
The $966 million plan includes upgrades to various...
Gobernador Newsom: boletas por correo para todos los votantes en Noviembre
Cada votante registrado en California recibirá una boleta de votación por correo para las elecciones de Noviembre después de que el Gobernador Gavin Newsom firmó una orden ejecutiva el viernes.
La orden requiere que los funcionarios electorales de cada condado envíen boletas de votación por...
Watsonville native embraces his roots while diving into L.A. music scene
For rapper and singer Kabwasa, staying connected to his hometown of Watsonville is a priority—even as he makes waves in the music scene in Los Angeles.
Raised in a house just off Rodriguez Street, Kabwasa was surrounded by music from an early age. He attended...
County Supervisors approve draft BESS ordinance
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday moved forward with proposed rules aimed at regulating large-scale battery energy storage systems, which if...


















