News

WATSONVILLE—The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the City of Watsonville are on the cusp of beginning a 10-year endeavor that will completely reshape the city’s major arterial road. Caltrans has committed to a $25 million renovation of its roughly seven-mile thoroughfare of Highway 152...

WATSONVILLE—Hector Quiroz is making up for lost time—and holidays. The 51-year-old Watsonville resident said he lived in a group home from sixth grade through high school. That meant Halloween and Christmas—the two holidays many kids look forward to the most—were muted experiences. “My belief is that...

APTOS—New Leaf Community Market in Aptos reopened Tuesday morning after a store-wide deep cleaning, spokeswoman Lindsay Gizdich said. The store closed on April 21 after seven employees tested positive for COVID-19. All employees currently working have been tested for the virus, and are cleared to work,...

The City of Capitola invites the public to a Grand Opening of the newly revitalized Capitola Wharf on Wednesday. “The event will take place at the end of Capitola Wharf, marking the completion of significant upgrades made possible through the Capitola Wharf Resiliency, Public Access...

The June 15 reopening date set by California Gov. Gavin Newsom will now mark another pandemic milestone: the day many Californians can go without masks in most settings. California’s Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly on Monday told reporters the state will continue...

Firefighters from multiple agencies deal with an early morning fire in the Vista Montaña housing complex in Watsonville that displaced 10 adults. Watsonville Fire Division Chief Corey Schaefer said the initial call came in at 1am for the fire on the second floor of...

WATSONVILLE—In November Uriel Mendoza of Watsonville will mark 21 years of being a bus driver for Santa Cruz METRO. When asked what he liked about his job, he plainly responded, “My job.”  His preferred bus route? “I like all of them,” he said. He said his customers are...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District launched its virtual academy one year ago as an option for families concerned about Covid-19, and who wanted to keep their children at home even if students were allowed back into classes. When the all-online classes began on Aug....

WATSONVILLE—One of the pillars of the Watsonville Fire Department, Capt. Matt Ryan, will soon retire. That means on July 27 a mountain of experience in the world of fire and rescue will walk out the door. It also means a departure of a giant player...

WATSONVILLE—Twenty-five Japanese Americans who were imprisoned in World War II incarceration camps signed a United States flag Sunday at the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL Kizuka Hall to make their mark on history. Part of the Japanese American Incarceration Memorial Legacy Project, the event drew people who...