Jimmy Dutra’s civil trial begins
Watsonville City Councilman Jimmy Dutra was in Santa Cruz County Superior Court Tuesday, where jury selection began for his civil trial.
The trial is expected to last through Sept. 13, Judge Timothy Schmal told the mostly empty courtroom.
Dutra is accused of sexually abusing a boy...
PV trustees approve evaluation tool, superintendent contract
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a plan to use a specialized assessment tool to help teachers better focus their math lessons where students need it.
Watsonville looks to cut taxes on cannabis to compete with neighbors
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday meeting will weigh whether to overhaul its tax rates on cannabis businesses, a move a consultant and city staff say would make the city more competitive with neighboring jurisdictions.
The proposed changes would cut taxes on retail cannabis...
Grant to help move homeless from Pajaro River encampments
Homeless services advocates from Monterey and Santa Cruz counties are considering placing a small community of modular tiny homes in a church parking lot in Watsonville, aimed at reducing the number of people camped out along the Pajaro River.
The project comes thanks to an...
Essential expansion | About Town
I’m seeing more and more places setting up makeshift outdoor eating spots to accommodate customers during the Covid-19 crisis where officials are not allowing indoor dining. Today a worker was busy putting up a tarp roof over a new outdoor seating area at Taqueria...
Serving up tacos with soul
More than 1,000 people attended the first-ever Summer Soul Festival at Pinto Lake County Park on Sunday.
Rocks Ranch property sold to Land Trust
A stretch of road alongside Highway 101 could soon be home to a tunnel complex turned wildlife crossing under the busy highway.
The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County announced Sept. 9 that it has agreed to purchase the 2,640-acre Rocks Ranch in Aromas at...
Skaters asking for apology after unintended destruction of ramps
WATSONVILLE—A group of local skateboarders is asking for an apology from the City of Watsonville after a set of skate ramps they purchased were unintentionally destroyed while being removed from the old Ramsay Park skatepark.
Yuridia Alexa Cebada-Martell and other skaters say that on Oct....
Santa Cruz County health officer says mask order won’t change behavior
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Saying that she has not yet seen reliable data that a countywide masking mandate would alter personal behavior or lower Covid-19 cases, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said she does not plan to issue a new order any time...
Aptos duo awarded top honors for stellar play on the pitch...
Aptos High seniors Ivan Zavala and Daniel Lozano each were recognized as two of the top players in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League...
