County frees up $500K to curb possible evictions
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the use of $500,000 in emergency rental assistance funds to help county renters facing eviction pay back rent.
The funds—which come from the Planning and the Housing for Health departments and the...
Watsonville City Council selects new city clerk
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council promoted longtime Assistant City Clerk Irwin Ortiz to the municipality’s top clerical position at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Ortiz has been with the City of Watsonville since 2010. He started as an intern for the city manager’s office before moving into the...
Shooting victim expected to survive injuries
WATSONVILLE—A 28-year-old man was shot on March 19 on the 100 block of Marin Street.
Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said the man was shot around 4:30am.
No arrests have been made.
Pulido said the victim is in stable condition and is expected to survive the...
Two killed in 3-vehicle crash on Green Valley Road
WATSONVILLE—Two people, including a 16-year-old Watsonville boy, were killed on March 19 in a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Green Valley Road and Pennsylvania Drive.
Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said the 20-year-old driver, identified by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office as...
Supervisors tackle tobacco, pretrial services issues
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—In a busy but brisk Tuesday morning session, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved several items which could change the county’s Transient Occupancy Tax and the rules regarding the sale of flavored tobacco.
The board also heard the first reading of...
Pajaro Levee engineer’s report open for public comment
PAJARO VALLEY—The Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency (PRFMA) recently released a draft of its engineer’s report for an assessment related to the long-awaited reconstruction of the Pajaro River levee, giving the public a chance to submit comments in advance of the agency’s Board of...
County Supervisors appoint first hospital board
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Trustees on Tuesday appointed the first board of directors for the newly formed Pajaro Valley Healthcare District (PVHCD), the group that will have oversight of Watsonville Community Hospital.
The board is made up of John Friel, Katherine...
PVUSD receives $4.1M from feds for internet connectivity improvements
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District is set to receive roughly $4.1 million from the federal government to help its students connect to the internet.
The district is one of 18 institutions throughout the Central Coast that received a portion of the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency...
Two more teens arrested in recent Watsonville double stabbing
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police Department officers on Saturday arrested two teens who they believe took part in a stabbing on March 15.
The arrests mark the third and fourth in the case. Two other teens were taken into custody on Thursday.
No additional information has been released about...
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...
Students learn the power of the vote at Civics Summit
On Friday, about 150 high school juniors from across Santa Cruz County cast their first ballots on three issues that, if passed, would dramatically...
