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Watsonville
February 20, 2026

About Town, Week of Jan. 21

Observations from around the Pajaro Valley.

Hwy 1 closed at La Fonda Avenue overpass for more than 90 minutes

SANTA CRUZ—Highway 1 in Santa Cruz, between Morrissey Boulevard and 41st Avenue, was closed for more than 90 minutes in both directions due to “police activity” on the La Fonda Avenue overcrossing, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said. Just before 3pm multiple callers told...

Health Trust provides health screenings for local residents

The Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust provided diabetes prevention education and blood glucose screenings to residents attending the Watsonville Certified Farmer's Market downtown on May 25.

New downtown treatment center for women in the works

WATSONVILLE—The building at 55 Brennan St. has in the past housed a Ford dealership and Baker Brothers Furniture. Most recently, it held a thrift store run by Teen Challenge Monterey Bay. Now, that organization has plans to convert the space into Grace Harbor Women’s Center,...

PG&E responds to local power outages

SOUTH COUNTY—Saying that the outages South Santa Cruz County’s rural residents have experienced “are not acceptable,” Pacific, Gas and Electric Company representatives told the public Thursday that they are currently adjusting equipment throughout the area in hopes of lessening the length and occurrence of...

Watsonville Strawberry Festival returns this weekend

The Watsonville Strawberry Festival will return Sunday to downtown, bringing with it a full day of strawberry delicacies, live entertainment, artisan vendors and more. Like most events in 2020, South County’s premier festival was canceled in response to the pandemic. And for a while, the...

PVWMA board advances College Lake Project

watsonville smell
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA) Board of Directors unanimously approved the College Lake Integrated Resources Management Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Addendum at its meeting on July 20. As part of the action, the Board approved an updated version of the project that...

Santa Cruz shifting homeless as way to slow virus’ spread

SANTA CRUZ—Several uniformed Santa Cruz police officers were on Water Street Friday morning, along with a group of city workers, tasked with dismantling and moving a homeless encampment that has grown along the north wall of the downtown post office, and in other places...

Construction begins on Slough Connector Trail Project

WATSONVILLE—The first phase of the Watsonville Slough Connector Trail Project at Ramsay Park kicked off Monday, with construction expected to run through the end of November. Granite Construction has teamed up with the city to complete the project, which will establish and enhance trails through...

Pride in school runs high for leading Pajaro Valley High seniors

Pajaro Valley high graduation
WATSONVILLE—Leaders of this year’s 274 Pajaro Valley High School seniors say the class of 2020 will be remembered for its unwavering school pride and its crazed support of athletics. Dennar Ocampo and Natalia Arroyo were at the forefront of both. “A lot of people would say,...
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Egg drop tests amateur engineers

Area youths tested their engineering skills Friday in downtown Watsonville at the 2026 Egg Drop Challenge.  The 23rd annual contest celebrates National Engineers Week, which...

Medina ban was right call