8 injured in 3-vehicle crash
WATSONVILLE—Eight people were injured in a three-vehicle collision near the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Sunday afternoon.
California Highway Patrol officer Alyssa Gutierrez said that around 4:15pm the driver of a 2021 Porsche Cayenne was traveling eastbound on Highway 152 near Holohan Road. For unknown reasons,...
Wetlands Watch’s youth climate institute receives state funding
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Wetlands Watch’s (WWW) Climate Corps Leadership Institute recently scored a $300,000 Youth Community Access grant from the California Natural Resources Agency.
Climate Corps Leadership Institute (CCLI), formed in 2020, grew out of WWW’s Green Careers Institute. It works to increase youth access to the...
Sheriff’s Office, Cal Fire investigate Bayview Hotel fire
APTOS—Fire broke out in the historic Bayview Hotel Sunday afternoon.
Central Fire Battalion Chief Ryan Peters said a fast response from Central firefighters put a quick lid on the blaze inside the three-story landmark, which he described as a tinderbox.
“We kept it to one room...
Freedom Boulevard project to begin in May
WATSONVILLE—A massive, long-awaited project that will completely overhaul one of Watsonville’s key arterial roads is set to begin in May.
The Freedom-Green Valley Water and Sewer Improvement project and the proceeding Freedom Boulevard Road Reconstruction Project were delayed because of global supply chain issues, the...
New community center aims to change youth outcomes
WATSONVILLE—A new community center is set to open in Watsonville on Wednesday, with the goal of supporting local at-risk youth and their families.
The Luna y Sol Familia Center at 15 Madison St. is a program of the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County...
Annieglass founder named artist of the year
WATSONVILLE—Annie Morhauser, whose Watsonville-based studio, Annieglass, has become a cornerstone of the Santa Cruz County arts community, has been named the 2022 Artist of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission.
She has been making her glassware in Santa Cruz County since 1983....
State eviction protections extended through June
WATSONVILLE—Some California renters facing eviction at the end of March got a reprieve Thursday when Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis signed legislation that extends statewide protections tied to a state-run rental assistance program.
Assembly Bill 2179 extends eviction protections through June 30 for Californians who signed...
Star students prepare for Ivy League trip
WATSONVILLE—Every year, the Watsonville Ivy League Project selects a handful of academically successful students for a weeklong trip to some of the nation’s top universities.
The trip is for some participants a first step away from their hometowns, but for all of them, it is...
Run raises funds for fallen officers
APTOS—Around 120 people from various Santa Cruz County law enforcement and first responder sectors ran through The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in the sixth annual Never Forget Memorial Relay on Sunday.
Numerous employees from local fire and police agencies and the probation, sheriff’s...
Photo: Slough fire quickly quelled
Watsonville Fire Capt. Rick Pettigrew (left) assists his crew in knocking down a wild land fire Tuesday that broke out in the Watsonville Slough brush-lands near the corner of Main Street at Ohlone Parkway.
Firefighters tackled the 3pm blaze within 20 minutes after multiple...
Watsonville nurses rally against ICU closure
Several dozen Watsonville Community Hospital nurses and staff warned Wednesday that closing the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit—an idea they said officials have floated amid...
