News

WATSONVILLE—Swift efforts are underway to open a new Habitat for Humanity ReStore in downtown Watsonville.  The national second-hand retail store is aiming for a mid-August soft opening in the behemoth 9,700-square-foot building at 555 Main St. that once served as a grocery store, a furniture...

WATSONVILLE—More than 100 people gathered in front of the newly rebuilt McDonald’s restaurant on Freedom Boulevard Tuesday for a grand reopening celebration. The business, located at 1598 Freedom Blvd., replaces the one originally built in 1974, which had remained at the same location until demolition...

WATSONVILLE—Situated on the outskirts of Watsonville, just down the road from Pajaro Valley High School, sits Esperanza Community Farms. Established in 2017, the farm provides affordable organic produce to about 100 local families through a biweekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, while aiming to promote...

WATSONVILLE—When the nonprofit Defend Our Health tested bottle caps from 141 beverage brands, they found potentially harmful chemicals in more than a third of them. Two Martinelli’s products were among these brands, but the Watsonville-based apple juice and cider company says it is now...

WATSONVILLE—For the first time in more than two decades, the Watsonville First United Methodist Church (UMC) has a new pastor. Rev. Jon Song, who has been practicing ministry for the past 35 years, took helm of the church earlier this month. He follows Rev. Robin...

SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz police arrested two men suspected of vandalizing a large Black Lives Matter mural in Santa Cruz on Saturday by making a series of long, sinuous skid marks over it with a pickup truck carrying the United States flag. Brandon Bochat, 20, of...

WATSONVILLE—More than 100 children in bright yellow T-shirts were at Pinto Lake County Park Friday morning, laughing, shouting and running through various soccer drills as part of the Aztecas Summer Soccer Camp. The camp, launched seven years ago to give young people a constructive “pro-social”...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A Watsonville man wanted on suspicion of attempted homicide for a drive-by shooting in Live Oak was arrested Monday in Idaho. Patrick Diaz, 29, was taken into custody for his alleged involvement in the Jan. 13 shooting of a man on Soquel Drive...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a plan to use a package of federal funds to repair roofs on buildings district-wide, in addition to other maintenance issues. The district will also use part of its $52.76 million in Elementary...

WATSONVILLE—During the next school year, every student in Pajaro Valley Unified School District can get a free breakfast and lunch, nutrition director Linda Liu said. Students and their families will not be required to fill out applications for free and reduced lunches to participate, she...