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Watsonville
February 4, 2026

Meals on Wheels to celebrate 50th anniversary

Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County will mark its 50th anniversary this year, and organizers are selling tickets for a Feb. 13 fundraising luncheon they say is increasingly critical as demand grows and funding pressures mount. The 13th annual Food From the Heart Luncheon...

Capitola’s El Toro Bravo reopens after fire damage

Just over a year ago, a Christmas Day fire damaged El Toro Bravo restaurant in Capitola, forcing the 58-year-old business to close. Rebuilding the much-loved Mexican eatery has taken a stupefying amount of work, as well as navigating the red tape typical of such projects,...

‘Wayfinders’ exhibit to open at Cabrillo Gallery

Cabrillo Gallery is setting the stage for their first art exhibit of 2026, “Tamera Avery: Wayfinders.” Avery’s paintings explore “enigmatic, surreal situations peopled with young, often absurdly costumed, protagonists,” organizers said. “Her subjects are portrayed with an empathetic eye for the plight of youth today,...

Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine taken, returned after uproar

The centerpiece of a popular shrine at Pinto Lake County Park—an oak tree with growth patterns that many believe resembled Our Lady of Guadalupe—has long since died and been removed. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a title for the Virgin Mary and is tied to...

Armed suspect shot, run over by San Jose Police officers

A man died Wednesday when he was run over by a San Jose Police officer following a crime spree that extended through two counties. According to SJPD, the incident began just after 2pm where an armed suspect entered a car dealership, stole a green Corvette...

UPDATE: Gun, ammo found at Aptos High tied to ‘off-campus incident’

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s investigators believe a firearm found on the Aptos High School campus this week is likely tied to an assault that occurred during winter break at the school, or near the camopus. According to Sheriff’s Sgt. Ryan Farotte, a juvenile suspect was...

Gun found at Aptos High tied to ‘off-campus incident,’ authorities say

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s investigators believe a firearm found on the Aptos High School campus this week is likely tied to an incident that occurred during winter break at the school, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. According...

Body discovered during search for 73-year-old hiker

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office announced the discovery of a body in a densely-wooded area off of Ice Cream Grade on the north side of Santa Cruz. On Jan. 17 and 18, search efforts for 73-year-old Jeanne Burke continued in the area of Ice...

Photo story: Fire at Resetar quickly quenched

Watsonville Fire responds to a report of a fire on the third floor of the five-story Resetar Residential Hotel Monday afternoon. Battalion Chief Chris Kramer said firefighters got a quick handle on the cardboard fire and that no injuries were reported in the 4pm...

Watsonville High joins national Free America Walkout

Watsonville High School senior Nayeli Lopez is about a year away from being old enough to vote, but that hasn’t stopped her from getting involved in local activism. Lopez, 17, is president of the school’s Education, Community, Humanitarian, Outreach (ECHO) Leadership Academy. She and other...
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Jim Barsi talks about the sale of Barsi's Liquor Store in 2019.

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

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...