Restoration of iconic Watsonville High mural begins
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville High School community last year was shaken when a beloved three-decades old mural on the wall of the school’s cafeteria was painted over during a construction project.
The move, directed by site administration and the district facilities department, outraged the artists involved in...
Watsonville police investigating two homicides
UPDATE (12:57am, 10/25)
Watsonville police say a third man was shot before midnight Saturday on Blackbird Circle behind Ramsay Park—a short walk from the scene of the night’s second homicide.
The victim was in critical condition, Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said.
It is unclear if...
Watsonville’s new districts stay close to status quo
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday meeting approved new district boundaries that feature only a handful of differences from the borders that were in place during the last decade.
Every decade following the release of census data, jurisdictions must adjust their district lines to...
Photo: City Plaza’s new self-cleaning restrooms arrive
A crew from Watsonville Public Works & Utilities installs new self-cleaning restrooms on the Union Street side of the City Plaza Wednesday.
The long-awaited restrooms were delivered Tuesday morning. They will feature two stalls and are expected to be completed and open to the...
Inflation strikes Watsonville’s budget
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council unanimously approved the use of roughly $2.5 million to offset increased budgetary demands in various departments and special funds, some of which city staff says are fueled by surging inflation on everyday goods.
The largest budget allocation approved by the elected...
Photo: Jacob’s Heart gifted $8,000
A giant $8,000 check is presented to Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services Friday by State Senator Laird (second from left) along with Spectrum representatives.
The money is part of Spectrum's digital education grant, a five-year, $7 million commitment to digital education in Spectrum...
Cabrillo College investigating ‘offensive racist’ graffiti
APTOS—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies and Cabrillo College administrators are investigating “offensive racist graffiti” that was found scrawled on a newly-painted restroom wall near the college’s Carl Connelly Stadium, Cabrillo President Matt Wetstein said.
The graffiti has since been painted over.
Neither school officials nor the...
Railbanking initiative heads to June ballot
SANTA CRUZ—The fate of Santa Cruz County’s rail line is now in the hands of the voters.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-0 to place on the June 7 ballot an initiative which, if successful, would amend Santa Cruz County’s...
Watsonville turns to bonds to meet steep pension costs
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...
Earthquake strikes near Corralitos hours after Gilroy quake
WATSONVILLE—An 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck Corralitos around 10am Saturday, just hours after a 2.6-magnitude earthquake shook Gilroy around 11pm on Friday.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the quakes' epicenters were near the San Andreas Fault line.
On social media, several people said that they...
Monterey County Sheriff: ‘Bomb’ was lost computer
A suspicious bag left leaning against a California Highway Patrol vehicle in Prunedale Monday—which prompted a response from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad...
