News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday voted to recommend the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for children 5-11, a move that came four days after the Food and Drug Administration approved a smaller dose for young people. The unanimous vote by the...

WATSONVILLE—Two Watsonville men were arrested early Tuesday morning on suspicion of fatally shooting a man and a woman in Gonzales on Oct. 23. David Ireta-Reyes, 24, and William Garcia-Fuentes, 25, were arrested on $2 million warrants, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said. On Oct. 23 gunfire...

APTOS—Cabrillo College’s theater arts department is finally returning to in-person performances after three seasons of virtual shows. “Charley’s Aunt” is a wacky farce chock full of love, deception, and confusion. Originally written by English playwright Brandon Thomas in 1862, Cabrillo’s production will be directed by...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday regarding the city’s search for a new chief executive. The meeting, scheduled for 5:30pm in the City Council Chambers, comes a few days after news broke that current city manager Matt Huffaker had been...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Ian Larkin, who has headed up Cal Fire’s San Mateo Santa Cruz Unit since May 2016, has announced his retirement, capping off a career that spanned three decades. Born and raised in Watsonville, Larkin now lives in Scotts Valley with his wife and...

WATSONVILLE—Local author and former Pajaronian editor Michael Wallace has released the ninth installment of his ongoing Quill Gordon Mystery series. The series follows the private investigator as he solves mysteries, usually in familiar west coast settings. Wallace released the first book in 2012, and has...

Firefighters from multiple agencies deal with an early morning fire in the Vista Montaña housing complex in Watsonville that displaced 10 adults. Watsonville Fire Division Chief Corey Schaefer said the initial call came in at 1am for the fire on the second floor of...

Elvira Villacaña (from right) and her daughters, Daisy Nuñez and Nancy Reyes don tradition; clothing and costume in celebration of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, in the Watsonville City Plaza Friday. Sponsored by the Watsonville Film Festival and the Santa...

One day my wife Laurie is on NextDoor, the social media site, and sees someone post, “Hey, just saw a coyote in my backyard, make sure your cat is safe indoors.” Almost instantly that seemingly innocuous text ignites into a full-fledged neighbor war, complete with...