Bobeda reflects on a life in Watsonville
Betty Bobeda was born and raised in Watsonville and sat on the City Council from 1991 to 2002, including two stints as mayor.
That, coupled with a career in local agriculture that spanned more than four decades, drove her to support Measure U in 2002...
Photo story: Two teens arrested after e-bike chase
A tow operator lifts one of two electric dirt bikes onto a flatbed truck after being stopped by Watsonville Police on Bridge Street Tuesday afternoon. Sgt. Jarrod Pisturino said WPD has received numerous complaints about youths speeding through and around the Vista Montaña housing...
Man dies in Capitola blaze
A man died when a home caught fire late Monday night in Capitola Village.
Central Fire crews responded to the two-alarm fire at 9:50pm at 204 Monterey Ave. to flames lashing out the side of a building from the first and second floors of a...
Seaside man arrested after entering girls’ bedroom, removing his pants
A Seaside man was arrested in Pajaro on Saturday after he reportedly entered the open door of a residence, walked into a bedroom occupied by two young girls, began mumbling and proceeded to remove his pants.
The girls, ages 6 and 9, screamed, and their...
RTC looks to federal, state government to fill rail funding gap
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) will seek funding from the state and federal government to support construction planning for a passenger rail line spanning the length of the county.
In a Thursday meeting, the commission voted unanimously to request $15 million to...
Freedom man arrested for child sex crimes
Morgan Hill Police on Thursday arrested a Freedom man after he allegedly traveled to Morgan Hill to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl.
Alexis Javier Mendez-Gallardo, 21, was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of felony charges including rape of a child under 14;...
Pilots Association prevails on airport land use case
A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Watsonville violated state law when it approved housing development near the Watsonville Municipal Airport without first adopting required airport safety standards.
In a 24-page decision issued Feb. 3, Judge Timothy Schmal sided...
Man arrested after wild chase
This story has been corrected from an earlier version. The chase did not go through Pajaro Middle School.
A search for a wanted man with multiple outstanding warrants ended with his arrest after a chase that started in Pajaro and made its way into the...
Advocates warn of immigration scam
Legal advocates are warning the public about a multistate scam targeting the immigrant community, with some victims losing as much as $30,000.
According to Claudia Abasto Rivilla, founder and executive director of Salinas-based Latin Advocacy Network (LATINAN), scammers target Spanish- and Indigenous-language speakers using information...
Meeting highlights downsides of BESS facilities
More than 150 people gathered Feb. 28 at Pinto Lake City Park to share ideas and information about a proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) a few blocks away on Minto Road in Watsonville.
The public meeting, hosted by Stop Lithium BESS in Santa Cruz,...
Former Rodeway Inn to become 120-bed residential treatment center for Janus...
A former Watsonville hotel is set to be converted into a 120-bed residential treatment facility for men, significantly expanding substance use disorder treatment capacity...
