Watsonville Prep gains approval to move into Gottschalks building
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Prep School has found a home in downtown Watsonville.
The Watsonville Planning Commission on Tuesday approved plans to remodel a portion of the long-vacant Gottschalks Building on Main Street into a 41,000-square-foot school.
Navigator Schools, the parent organization of the charter school, and the Hansen...
Neighborhood Courts Program seeks volunteers
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Since it was launched in December of last year, the County of Santa Cruz’s Neighborhood Courts Program (NCP) has rerouted 45 misdemeanor criminal cases away from the traditional justice system and out into the community.
A restorative justice-based program of the County District...
Police seek hit-and-run driver
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Police Department is asking for help from the community in finding a driver who fled after running over a man on Saturday night.
According to WPD spokeswoman Michelle Pulido, the 59-year-old victim was hit at 9:16pm on East Lake Avenue between Lincoln and...
Aptos man arrested after high-speed chase
SANTA CRUZ—An Aptos man was arrested Friday morning following a dramatic chase around Santa Cruz and over Highway 17.
James Johnston, 37, of Aptos, was taken into custody near Scotts Valley on a host of charges.
Around 7am Santa Cruz Police received multiple calls of a...
Apple harvest wraps up at historic Corralitos orchard
It has not been an easy harvest season for California apples. When temperatures shot up into the 100s in August and September, sparking wildfires across the state and harming numerous agricultural commodities, apples were one of the hardest-hit crops. The fruit is susceptible to...
Rental assistance program available to county residents
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Renters and landlords in Santa Cruz County who have been impacted by the pandemic are eligible for more than $16 million of federal funds to help pay utilities, home energy costs and rent, county spokesperson Jason Hoppin announced Monday.
The funds are allocated...
Work on Riverside-Lakeview roundabout continues
WATSONVILLE—Work continues on the major redesign of the heavily-traveled intersection of Highway 129 (Riverside Road) at Lakeview Road just east of Watsonville.
Caltrans spokesperson Kevin Drabinski said the project, which got underway in the spring, calls for the construction of a roundabout at the busy...
PVUSD Trustees rescind superintendent dismissal, appoint new leaders
Editor's note: This story was updated from a previous version.
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees late Sunday night voted unanimously to rescind the recent dismissal of Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez after a seven-hour special meeting.
The trustees also unanimously nominated Jennifer Holm as...
New housing program helps farmworkers during Covid-19 pandemic
WATSONVILLE—Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 24 revealed a new temporary housing program that aims to help agricultural workers across the state better protect themselves and their families during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Housing for the Harvest will offer temporary hotel housing to workers who need to...
Report: Covid-19 had bigger impact on Black, Latinx communities
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Covid-19 pandemic has had a disparate impact on communities nationwide, with Latinx and Black communities experiencing greater impacts than white ones.
That is according to a report heard Tuesday by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.
The report, presented by Health Services...
New leadership, shared priorities: Investing in the future of public safety
As we begin a new year, I want to reflect on the direction of public safety in Watsonville and the leadership helping guide that...
