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Watsonville
February 8, 2026

Jim Barsi—owner of Barsi’s Liquor Store—dies

Jim Barsi talks about the sale of Barsi's Liquor Store in 2019.
James Joseph “Jim” Barsi, who ran his eponymous liquor store on East Lake Avenue for a half-century before selling the business and retiring in 2019, died on Jan. 26. He was 83.  Eddie Casillas said he began working for Barsi when he was 16, and...

Watsonville Airport prepares for Super Bowl arrivals

Dave Paz, general manager at S. Matinelli and Co.. assembles a sampling of beverage products Monday to add to the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture’s red-carpet Super Bowl welcome party at the Watsonville Municipal Airport this week.
Though Super Bowl 60 will take place Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Watsonville will roll out its own red carpet at Watsonville Municipal Airport this week.  Shaz Roth, CEO of the  Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, said preparations are under way to welcome...

Watsonville Plaza project moves ahead

A crew from Community Tree Service removed several large trees and trimmed back several others Monday and Tuesday at Watsonville Plaza as part of phase 1 of the ongoing Plaza Revitalization Project.  Bob Berry of Watsonville Public Works and Utilities, said the removal of some...

Elias Gonzales to challenge Hernandez for supervisor seat

Lifelong Watsonville resident and community advocate Elias Gonzalez announced Monday that he is running for 4th District supervisor. He is up against incumbent Felipe Hernandez, who has served on the board of supervisors since 2022. Gonzalez has a long career history in community organizing, working...

County officials vow to oppose immigration officials

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark told reporters Thursday that local law enforcement will not cooperate with federal officials if they come to the Central Coast as part of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policy. Clark spoke at a press conference led by Rep. Jimmy...

STUDENTS SHOW THEIR STRENGTH

Thousands of young people walked out of school Friday, filling the streets of Watsonville and Santa Cruz to protest recent violent incidents involving federal immigration officials. The walkouts were part of similar protests throughout the United States, a largely student-led movement opposing the hardline immigration...

Supervisors greenlight SHIELD to protect immigrants

Santa Cruz County’s immigrant community got a measure of protection Tuesday after the Board of Supervisors approved an ad hoc subcommittee that will address potential impacts from federal immigration enforcement.  The two-member group, known as SHIELD—short for Safeguarding Health, Inclusion, Essential Services, and Local Defense—will be...

Santa Cruz, Monterey counties to test wireless emergency system Thursday

Officials in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties will conduct a test of the Wireless Emergency Alert system on Thursday, sending emergency messages to mobile phones in flood inundation zones near the Pajaro River. The test is scheduled for about 3pm and is part of ongoing...

Teen leads police on destructive chase

A teen male driving a stolen vehicle Sunday led officers from three law enforcement agencies on a chase that left a trail of destruction including a damaged fire hydrant, a traffic sign and a parked vehicle before crashing into a house on Arthur Road. Four...

Boys To Men

On Jan. 28, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and Monarch Services will co-present the film “The Mask You Live In,” a documentary film that explores how boys and young men navigate a society that often demands an unrealistic ideal of masculinity. The screening...
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PVUSD board to mull ‘stay-away letter’ for Medina

Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board Trustee Gabe Medina could be restricted from entering the Pajaro Valley High School campus after a confrontation with...

MioCar is in Watsonville