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Watsonville
February 18, 2026

Local young inventors get state recognition

WATSONVILLE—A group of young inventors who earned accolades in local and state competitions last year visited the state capital Monday, where they met with lawmakers and showed off their winning creations. The visit to Sacramento was in advance of Kid Inventors Day on Jan. 17....

Monterey Bay Caterers up for sale as owner rides into retirement

Monterey Bay Caterers ken schwan
WATSONVILLE—Monterey Bay Caterers, a long-standing business in the Pajaro Valley which operated as a catering business and a restaurant, is for sale. Owner Ken Schwan said a combination of things led to his decision. He’ll be 64 next month, and his recent motorcycle crash that...

Series of earthquakes hit San Benito County

Largest measured at 4.1 magnitude.

Snatch up your Crab Feed tickets, before they’re gone

Tickets sales for the 21st annual Fairgrounds Foundation Crab Feed are swiftly selling for the festive evening at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.  Set for March 2, the all-you-can-eat crab, chicken, clam chowder, salad and dessert meal—which usually draws 500 people—will also include a silent...

City Council approves budget as calls for cuts to WPD continue

Watsonville budget
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a biennial budget that will keep Watsonville Police Department’s staffing at current levels, and invest roughly $7.5 million into a rebuild of Ramsay Park.  The decision came after two dozen people at the virtual meeting echoed a...

Highway 1 Saturday closure postponed

A previously announced 24-hour closure of Highway 1 in Capitola, scheduled to begin Saturday March 23 at 7pm and run until 7pm Sunday, has been postponed due to weather. Caltran spokesperson Kevin Drabinski said scrubbing the demolition of the Capitola Avenue Bridge was put on...

Santa Cruz METRO announces new CEO

Santa Cruz Metro Michael Tree
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) on Friday announced it has named Michael Tree its new CEO/General Manager. Tree has nearly three decades of experience in the public transit industry and city management, most recently as Executive Director of the Livermore Amador Valley...

Roads patched up during shelter-in-place | About Town

A worker from the city's Public Works department was taking advantage of the light traffic on Tuesday, patching pot holes along Beach Road. • Today is Jackie Robinson Day. Many sports organizations are planning online celebrations of #42 of the Brooklyn Dodgers on the 73-year...

PHOTO: RV goes up in flames

A fire ripped through an RV parked behind Kmart on Tuesday.

About Town, Week of Sept. 2

Observations from across the Pajaro Valley and beyond.
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LEVEE MONEY The Pajaro River meanders through a course of trees and brush near downtown Watsonville.

Padilla, Schiff secure $54M for Pajaro River Levee

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla announced Tuesday that he and Sen. Adam Schiff secured $54 million in federal funding for the Pajaro River Flood Risk...