Rainbow Conference brings LGBTQ+ youth, families together
Hundreds of LGBTQ+ students, their families, educators and allies from throughout the Central Coast will gather at Watsonville High School Sept. 26 for the Rainbow Conference, a day organizers say is designed to build community, share resources and celebrate young people.
For Katherine Figueroa, 15,...
Council approves $2.8 million Measure Q spending plan
The Watsonville City Council on Sept. 8 unanimously approved a five-year plan for spending roughly $2.8 million in Measure Q funds, but rejected a proposal to spend $40,000 on another study of water quality problems at Pinto Lake.
Instead, council members directed the money toward...
Measure N brings new equipment to Watsonville Community Hospital
On Tuesday, Watsonville Community Hospital announced the installation of new MRI and CT imaging systems, purchased with funding from the Measure N bond, both of which will be available for patient use later this month.
The new equipment replaces the aging equipment that was increasingly...
From the fields to Silicon Valley
Some of Martin Vargas-Vega’s earliest memories are of waking up in the strawberry and raspberry fields around Watsonville.
His immigrant parents picked berries, and when Vargas-Vega was young, the fields essentially served as daycare. His relatives worked nearby, as did the families of other children...
Open Farm Tours connects eaters and growers around the county
Every day, tens of thousands of people drive past Santa Cruz County’s farmlands. Some may have an idea of what’s being grown where, but few have had the opportunity to step onto the soil and meet the farmers that feed our community.
The 13th annual...
Man arrested in Castroville Homicide
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man in connection with the homicide that happened early Aug. 6 in Castroville.
Just after 2am that morning, deputies responded to a report of a stabbing in the area of Merritt Street and Preston Street. They found...
Capitola Art & Wine Festival returns this weekend
The Capitola Art & Wine Festival returns to Capitola Village this weekend, bringing two days of art, wine, food and entertainment to the seaside community.
Hosted by the Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce, the free annual festival will run from 10am-6pm Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday.
Thousands of...
Hundreds celebrate Labor Day in Watsonville
Hundreds of people listened to live music, enjoyed food and heard speeches Monday at the annual Labor Day picnic at Romo Park in downtown Watsonville.
Put on by the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, the event showcased the essence of Labor Day—a tribute to the...
Man arrested after pursuit with 3-year-old in vehicle
A Las Vegas man was arrested Friday after leading police on a chase with a 3-year-old in the vehicle.
Capitola police did not name the 41-year-old suspect.
But the Santa Cruz County inmate locator shows that Jacob Blake Miller, 41, was charged with evading officers, obstructing...
Amber Alert issued for 14-year-old in Baby Angelita investigation
The California Highway Patrol has issued an Amber Alert for a 14-year-old girl connected to the investigation into the death of a newborn found near Watsonville last month.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday that it is searching for Diana Galvez Ortega and her...
Mariner girls’ volleyball advances to D-III semifinals | CCS postseason roundup
The Aptos High girls’ volleyball team survived to play another day in the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs after getting past No. 6...
