News

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS—Law enforcement officials on Thursday arrested a man suspected of running a “chop shop” high in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Victor Guizar Avalos, 40, was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on charges of operating a chop shop and possessing ammunition. He was...

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—Watsonville Community Hospital will either be sold to a new buyer or—if that fails—close by Jan. 28, CEO Steven Salyer announced Monday.  In a letter sent to employees, Salyer states that the hospital is facing “significant financial challenges,” which have been compounded by decreased revenue...

WATSONVILLE—An inmate at the Rountree Medium Facility on the outskirts of Watsonville escaped Friday afternoon, leading to an intensive search that ended with his capture later the same day. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Keehn said Christopher Dicochea escaped around 3:45pm from the correctional center on...

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...

Editor’s note: This is the fifth entry in a series of interviews with candidates running for office in the upcoming local elections. Interviewees will include candidates for the Watsonville City Council, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, the Pajaro Valley Water...

WATSONVILLE—For the second year running, a group from Watsonville’s Filipino community is releasing a calendar highlighting family histories.  The “Watsonville is in the Heart” calendar is part of the Tobera Project, an ongoing project aiming to preserve, honor and celebrate that history, especially those of...

The Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture 57th Annual Awards Dinner Auction & Dance. That’s Amore At the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on Saturday, February 2, 2019 | 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville man who died Dec. 15 after he was struck by a car as he walked along West Beach Street has been identified as Abel Elizondo Rodriguez, 42. Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said Rodriguez was walking partially in the westbound lane in front...

The 24-year-old Watsonville man who died early Sunday morning in a solo-vehicle crash on the 800 block of Walker Street when his car plowed into a large utility pole was identified by his family as Jerry Lee, Jr. “He was a good kid,” said his...