News

Roughly $4.1 million in grants were awarded to health care centers across the Central Coast.  The grants were announced on Sept. 29 by Rep. Jimmy Panetta. The money will support healthcare for underserved communities, and funds will be funneled primarily toward efforts to expand Covid-19...

SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday revealed what he called a new, more “stringent” four-tiered reopening system that allows counties to open their economies depending on their Covid-19 case and test positivity rates. The new system replaces the monitoring list and removes many of the old...

WATSONVILLE—Diamond Technology Institute (Diamond Tech) in Watsonville has been awarded a top award for its programming promoting college and career readiness. The school is the recipient of a Gold Medal for its work with the Career Choices series curriculum and My10yearPlan.com. The school’s Career Choices...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Saying that she has not yet seen reliable data that a countywide masking mandate would alter personal behavior or lower Covid-19 cases, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said she does not plan to issue a new order any time...

WATSONVILLE—The Monterey Bay Birding Festival has been mothballed for the second year in a row due to pandemic complications. Despite most levels of society, from schools, businesses, services and government, edging back toward normal operations, the festival—in its 17th year—couldn’t get off the ground. “The festival...

WATSONVILLE—A Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge on Wednesday ruled that Watsonville Municipal Airport officials were in the wrong when they placed barriers at a business nearly three years ago that blocked access to the runways. The Statement of Decision by Judge Timothy Volkmann means...

The next phase of “Watsonville Brillante,” the massive mosaic project splashed across the exterior walls of the six-story Civic Plaza parking garage in downtown Watsonville, is currently being installed. Lead artist Kathleen Crocetti added that the scaffolding and netting that covers the project will...

SAN BENITO COUNTY—A Watsonville native was sworn in as the 16th sheriff for San Benito County Friday under mild, sunny conditions in the front courtyard of the Veterans Memorial Building. Eric Taylor, a 1992 Watsonville High School graduate, accepted the position in the presence of...

Towering flames reach into the sky at Pacific Firewood & Lumber, 2536 Freedom Blvd., Friday as a huge pile of timber burns. Fire officials said the blaze was triggered by spontaneous combustion sometime during the night. Firefighters around 8:30am said they would be on...