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Watsonville
April 5, 2026

Castroville man dies in late-night crash

CASTROVILLE—A Castroville man died in a solo vehicle crash Tuesday night when his pickup shot off the road and smashed into several poles. California Highway Patrol officer Jessica Madueño said Daniel Guyton, 26, was traveling eastbound on Highway 156 from northbound Highway 1 at a...

LAFCO hires new executive officer

The Local Agency Formation Commission of Santa Cruz County announced Joe Serrano as its next executive officer.

Commission approves drive-thru Starbucks

The Watsonville Planning Commission approved a drive-thru Starbucks in the Watsonville Square Shopping Center Tuesday, one of two such coffee shops in the works for the city.

Watsonville mosaic claims international award

Kathleen crocetti Watsonville brillante
Watsonville Brillante, the massive, 10-phase outdoor mosaic project in Watsonville, has just been named Best in Show in the Mosaic and Glass Arts International 2023 exhibition series in Buffalo, New York.  Lead artist Kathleen Crocetti of Watsonville learned of the prestigious announcement Wednesday. “When I first...

Santa Cruz County extends shelter-in-place through May 3

Santa Cruz County
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County residents will have to stay home for at least another month. County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel on Tuesday night extended the county’s shelter-in-place order through May 3. The order, first enacted on March 17 to slow the spread of COVID-19,...

Watsonville welcomes new mayor

Outgoing Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco on Tuesday handed her gavel to Kristal Salcido, as the Mayor Pro Tempore seat went to Casey Clark. Under Watsonville ordinance, the council members rotate through the mayor positions every December. Before she ceded her seat, Orozco said she completed 26...

Year in Review: 4 stories that pierced Covid-19’s news blanket

Jaelyn Zavala Michael Escobar
It was a year dominated by news of the Covid-19 pandemic, since the news began to roll in on March 12. The crisis has hit businesses, schools, neighborhoods and people everywhere in the world. There are few vestiges of life that have not yet...

New ice cream shop to open in Aptos

Bruster's aptos ice cream
APTOS—Sometime in the summer, Mid-County will have a new ice cream shop, a walk-up establishment near the heart of Aptos Village. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream—headquartered in Pennsylvania with 200 locations throughout the U.S. and in South Korea—features 24 flavors that are hand-made on-site daily, says...

Portola Heights fire being investigated as attempted murder

An early-morning fire that broke out at a mobile home in the Portola Heights Mobile Home Park on Freedom Boulevard Tuesday is being investigated as an attempted murder. Duane Hawkins, 65, arrived at the home and started the fire following an argument, Watsonville Police spokeswoman...

Deal between city, PV Arts for Porter Building inches closer

orter Building downtown Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—A deal between the City of Watsonville and Pajaro Valley Arts for the sale of the historic Porter Building cleared one of the few remaining hurdles on Monday afternoon. The city approved a minor land division that will allow the century-old building at 280 Main...
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