News

SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel on Friday issued a health order requiring all people to wear a face-covering when indoors in public spaces and when visiting or hosting people from outside of their households, regardless of vaccination status.  The order goes...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Ivy League Project was launched 14 years ago with a simple idea: bringing high school students to the nation’s top universities will give them a taste of their possible options after they graduate. And the experiment has been successful. Since its inception, more...

WATSONVILLE—A group of teachers from Pajaro Valley High School is planning to file a complaint with their school, citing an ongoing teacher shortage they say causes a threat to student health and safety and makes their jobs untenable. The teachers filing the Williams complaints say...

WATSONVILLE—After three closed session meetings the Watsonville City Council has not yet decided on who will lead the municipality in the interim after outgoing city manager Matt Huffaker leaves later this year. But Watsonville Mayor Jimmy Dutra says that a decision could be near. “I think...

PAJARO—A federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order filed by an attorney representing dozens of people living in the Pajaro River levee against a planned cleanup organized by Monterey County officials. Anthony Prince, general counsel for the California Homeless Union/Statewide Organizing Council, on Wednesday...

Tickets are still available for the Watsonville debut performance of RosaAzul, an ensemble that will perform music and songs from Mexico and abroad. RosaAzul is made up of Jose 'Chuy' Hernandez, vocals, guitar and vihuela, Saul Arteaga, guitarron and Adam Bolaños Scow, violin. It...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz Gives is back, and the annual countywide crowdfunding holiday campaign is bigger than ever.  Following a year that saw skyrocketing donations, Santa Cruz Gives has doubled the number of nonprofits it will raise funds for from 40 to 80. The online campaign,...

PAJARO—A 69-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of molesting at least two girls.  The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office arrested Crescenciano Figueroa, Jr., of Pajaro, on charges of child molestation. Figueroa, known by many in the community as “Chano,” was taken into custody on Fremont...

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...

WATSONVILLE—The city of Watsonville will see a major shift in leadership in 2022.  The election of a new city councilmember is ongoing, and four more seats will be open next year. Current City Manager Matt Huffaker will soon be moving to the city of Santa...