News

WATSONVILLE—About 15 people sat quietly in rows of chairs facing an altar of votive candles, flowers, photographs and memorabilia in a carport near downtown Watsonville on Sunday. Just hours prior, an 18-year-old man who, family says, had moved to the U.S. from Oaxaca, Mexico a...

WATSONVILLE—In 2020, Arts Council Santa Cruz County formed the Watsonville Stewardship Committee for the Arts to bring resources, build spaces and improve access to the arts for South County residents. That group of artists, teachers, political leaders and city of Watsonville staff spearheaded the creation...

MICHOACÁN, MEXICO—A Watsonville mother of four was killed—and her sister critically injured—in a mass shooting in Michoacán, Mexico on March 28. Melissa Silva was 36. She leaves behind four children, 20, 17, 12 and 10, two of whom attend Calabasas Elementary School. Her 16-year-old sister...

Spring is here, and with it comes warmer temperatures, more outdoor activities and a surge in home gardening.  But with unpredictable weather patterns increasing, as well as the ongoing drought in California, there is plenty more to think about now when choosing what to plant...

WATSONVILLE—Some California renters facing eviction at the end of March got a reprieve Thursday when Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis signed legislation that extends statewide protections tied to a state-run rental assistance program. Assembly Bill 2179 extends eviction protections through June 30 for Californians who signed...

WATSONVILLE—Since February, a small group of women has been hard at work, learning the detailed world of the beauty industry in Watsonville’s new—and Santa Cruz County’s only—cosmetology program. The new program began with just six students, although Watsonville/Aptos/Santa Cruz Adult Education Director Nancy Bilicich expects...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro River levee restoration is one of four projects nationwide receiving funding from the federal government, with $67 million from President Joe Biden’s administration coming to help with the long-awaited renovation. Biden made the announcement on Tuesday. The funding is part of the Infrastructure...

WATSONVILLE—Since the state opened its Covid-related rental assistance program roughly a year ago, 889 Watsonville residents who have fallen behind on their monthly payments have submitted an application for help. But only around half of those people have received funds, putting them in a precarious...

WATSONVILLE—Annie Morhauser, whose Watsonville-based studio, Annieglass, has become a cornerstone of the Santa Cruz County arts community, has been named the 2022 Artist of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission. She has been making her glassware in Santa Cruz County since 1983....

WATSONVILLE—A new community center is set to open in Watsonville on Wednesday, with the goal of supporting local at-risk youth and their families. The Luna y Sol Familia Center at 15 Madison St. is a program of the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County...