News

WATSONVILLE—The city of Watsonville this coming fiscal year will use nearly $5 million in Measure D and Senate Bill 1 funds to move forward on several road improvement projects within city limits. The list of projects, approved 6-0 by the City Council Tuesday, includes a...

PAJARO VALLEY—About 50 people gathered Sunday in Watsonville’s community room to explore ways to phase out toxic farming chemicals and convert Pajaro Valley farmlands to organic and regenerative farming.  The group of speakers included farmers, farmworkers, doctors, retired teachers, experts in environmental health and justice...

APTOS—Community Foundation Santa Cruz County awarded scholarships to 11 local students, the organization announced July 10. Pajaro Valley High School students Reyna Ponce (Barbara J. Thompson Scholarship), Omar Salazar (Emmett and Elsie Geiser Scholarship), Brianna Melgoza-Ortiz (Hank Garcia Jr. and Family Scholarship), Adam Tangonan (Hank...

APTOS—The high school football season is back on track, for now, as Santa Cruz County superintendents released updated guidance for outdoor high-contact sports that won’t require teams to test for Covid-19 moving forward. Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Michelle Rodriguez was notified on...

LIVE OAK—Santa Cruz County’s first-ever inclusive playground officially opened Jan. 18 at Chanticleer Park in Live Oak.  LEO’s Haven, a playground designed to welcome children with disabilities such as blindness, mobility impairment and autism, is the centerpiece of the $4 million rebuild of the 4.5-acre...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council gave staff the green light to begin the process of issuing taxable bonds in hopes of paying off steep unfunded pension obligations over the next three decades. According to a 2020 California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) report, the City of...

Editor's note: This story has been updated from a previous version. Four people were taken into custody Tuesday following a high risk car stop where one teen ran from police. Around 1 pm Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies received reports of shots fired on Eureka Canyon...

Special events Open Farm Tours (Oct. 12-13) Due to the increase in attendance at the 2018 tours, an additional day has been added this year so people can visit more farms without being rushed. Fourteen family-owned farms will participate in this year’s tours. All farms implement sustainable...

To cap off a year of sesquicentennial festivities, Watsonville city officials filled a time capsule with present-day items Tuesday that will be opened in 25 years.