News

A countywide celebration of visual and performing arts kicked off Thursday and will run through April 26.  The Ripple Effect Santa Cruz County Arts Festival is the County’s effort to highlight the creative community during California’s Arts, Culture and Creativity Month.  Organizers said the event brings...

Every year the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture names its annual awardees, selecting the people, organizations and events that help shape the Pajaro Valley and the communities that live there. As every year, the Pajaronian is proud to feature this year’s awardees. Lifetime Achievement Dominic...

Pajaro Valley Unified School District on Tuesday announced the formation of the Sustainable Schools Advisory, a group of 23 parents, staff and community members described in a press release as “a community-informed effort focused on the long-term strength of our schools.” District officials have not...

Editor's note: This story was updated at 10:50am on April 10 with new information. Watsonville officials said Friday that a proposed plan to house a designated sexually violent predator at a Main Street motel has been halted after the property owner withdrew, citing community opposition. The...

One of the victims from an attack at the Clock Tower in Santa Cruz on March 21 has died, Santa Cruz Police announced Wednesday. Justin Moore, 42, of Santa Cruz, suffered a stab wound during the attack. The suspect, Robert David Worel, 32, has been charged...

Work moves forward on the new Costa Vista Student Housing project at Cabrillo College in Aptos. The $181 million development will be the first student housing collaboration between a California community college and the University of California. The 257,000 square-foot project will span three...

Questions on the human and environmental effects from the Moss Landing Battery Plant fire on the Jan. 17, 2025 are still being explored.  The March 17 Monterey County Board of Supervisors’ meeting contained an update on the progress of the cleanup, what some of the...

Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County has purchased property next to its current Watsonville-area facility, a move officials say will allow the organization to expand operations and better respond to rising demand for food assistance. The acquisition, announced March 31, was made through what...

The Watsonville City Council voted in December to allow workers to clear a homeless encampment on Airport Boulevard and to bill the property owner approximately $300,000 in cleanup costs — $150,000 already spent and another $150,000 estimated for further work. But the encampment remains, home...

Santa Cruz County residents are being encouraged to apply for the next Civil Grand Jury, a volunteer watchdog panel that investigates local government operations and issues public reports aimed at improving transparency and accountability. The 2026–27 term begins July 1, with the Superior Court expected...