News

As the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week—and as money the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is set to dry up Nov. 1 unless deadlocked lawmakers reach an agreement—nonprofits across the U.S. are bracing themselves to help millions of people who could lose...

CENTRAL COAST—Executive director of the Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) Andy Fisher had only been in the position for six months before the pandemic hit California.  Fortunately, Fisher and his team had been able to hold their 40th annual conference in Pacific Grove that January. But...

WATSONVILLE—Federal, state and local officials gathered at Atri Park in Watsonville Monday at a public ceremony to sign a design agreement for the Pajaro River Flood Management Project.  The long-awaited $400 million effort is designed to reduce flood risk for the “disadvantaged” communities of Pajaro...

Pajaro Valley Unified School District Chief Business Officer Jenny Im has submitted her resignation letter to the district, Superintendent Heather Contreras confirmed Saturday. Im’s resignation comes after several contentious public meetings during which the board directly questioned the district’s financial management. Reached by text, Im declined...

WATSONVILLE—A Greenfield Police officer was arrested early Thursday on charges of domestic violence. Christian Tapia, 27, was arrested at 8:03am and booked into Santa Cruz County Jail by the Watsonville Police Department on domestic violence-related charges that officers believe happened in Watsonville. The Greenfield Police Department...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police Department is warning residents about a scam in which a caller pretends to be a police officer and asks for a callback to discuss “confidential legal matters.”  The caller reportedly falsely claimed to be WPD Sgt. Michael Ridgway. The person who received the call...

APTOS—In her more than two decades of working with nonprofit organizations, C.J. Runyon spent eight years with Walu International, which among other things helps provide hand-washing stations to rural communities in Papua New Guinea and Nicaragua, where poor sanitation leads to a myriad of...

A 45-year-old Watsonville man was seriously injured early Tuesday when a car struck him on his bicycle.

When Aptos High School Principal Alison Hanks-Sloan sent a letter on March 16 to the Pajaro Valley Unified School District community announcing she would not be returning for the 2025-26 school year—and that her last day will be June 30—district officials told The Pajaronian...

WATSONVILLE—It was 37 years ago that Larry Chin became a reserve firefighter with Watsonville Fire Department, inspired by television shows such as “Emergency!” and the glamor of the profession. He joined the department eight years later. On Wednesday morning, he signed off from his final...