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Watsonville
August 12, 2025

Community briefs: Drag show fundraiser, history talk this week

Fruition Brewing to host drag show fundraiser Pajaro Valley Pride (PVP), a local organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating South County’s LGBTQ+ community, will host a drag show fundraiser Saturday at Fruition Brewing in Watsonville.  “aQUEERious Winter Ball!” will feature a number of performers and a...

Community Bridges offering free cleanup tool rental program

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Community Bridges is providing cleanup tools and resources at Family Resource Collective (FRC) locations, aiming to help the community recover from the floods and mudslides produced by the recent storms. Residents can rent items such as air movers, dehumidifiers, wet/dry vacs, carpet cleaners,...

Ag industry reeling from floods

PAJARO VALLEY—As the intense series of atmospheric river storms wane, many farmers and agriculture workers across the state of California are left reeling from flood impacts. Many streams, creeks and major rivers in Northern and Central California overflowed their banks during the deluge, sending water...

Varni celebrates 100th birthday

Longtime Watsonville resident Virginia Varni recently celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends.  She was born on Jan. 11, 1923 in Breckenridge, Texas to Charles and Grace Leonard. The family moved to Southern California and Varni gave the first-ever radio broadcast from first...

PHOTO: Preparing for Biden’s Santa Cruz County arrival

us presidential helicopter watsonville municipal airport Marine V-22 Osprey
An armed man keeps watch over the U.S. Presidential helicopter at Watsonville Municipal Airport Wednesday during a practice run for the arrival of President Joe Biden set for Thursday. Two massive U.S. Marine V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor airplanes arrived in concert with two helicopters at...

City urges residents to keep sandbags for future storms

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville’s Public Works Department is urging residents to keep any sandbags they received during the recent series of storms through the rest of winter. “We are recommending that people keep them, just in case,” said Marco Diaz, an administrative assistant for the...

Woman shot in Larkin Valley

santa cruz county sheriff mar monte white road
LARKIN VALLEY—A  woman was shot Monday afternoon in the area of Highway 1 and Mar Monte, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Keehn. When Sheriff’s deputies arrived around 3pm, they learned the victim self-transported to a local hospital and was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The...

Biden declares emergency, frees up federal aid

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—President Joe Biden on Saturday declared a disaster exists in the storm-damaged parts of California, freeing up federal aid to help state and local recovery efforts in Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz counties. Biden’s declaration came hours after Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator...

Pajaro residents still evacuated

PAJARO—On the same day that the City of Watsonville lifted its evacuation warnings and orders, residents of the town of Pajaro are questioning why the orders keeping them out of their homes still stand. The Main Street bridge over the Pajaro River was still closed...

All evacuation warnings lifted for Watsonville

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police Department lifted all evacuation warnings in the City of Watsonville on Monday.  Access into Pajaro from Watsonville is still closed off by the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and will remain closed until Monterey County officials lift the road closures.  Santa Cruz County officials have...
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Fighting cancer in Relay for Life

For the past four decades, people fighting cancer have gathered to strengthen that battle at the annual Relay For Life. That event unfolded Saturday at...