County Fair Board plans to remove aging barns
WATSONVILLE—When thousands of attendees file into the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in September for the annual county fair, they can expect the east end of the grounds to look much different than years prior.
If all goes according to plan—and government agencies work at hyper-speed...
George Washington statue on Parks Commission agenda
TONY NUÑEZ: Community members again gathered at the George Washington bust in the Watsonville City Plaza on Friday. Some were calling for the statue to come down and others were saying it should stay up.
People on both sides of the argument will get their...
Wildcatz extend win streak to seven | HS softball
WATSONVILLE—The winds that normally blow into the Watsonville High School softball field are typically known for knocking down deep fly balls destined to become home runs. Blocked by an invisible “Green Monster” of Fenway Park, so to speak.
But the Swingin’ Wildcatz have found a...
Farms to open doors to the public
Starr Linden and Andy Griffin stand on a gentle slope overlooking part of their sprawling Watsonville farm, each of them taking turns describing the process of creating the property’s centerpiece—a hand-built labyrinth of 3,000 fragrant lavender plants.
“This was a Covid project,” Griffin said proudly.
Using...
Man driving in evacuated Santa Cruz mountains arrested on DUI, multiple weapons charges
BOULDER CREEK—A San Jose man was arrested early Friday on suspicion of DUI and multiple weapons violations after he reportedly drove past a “Road Closed” barrier in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The California Highway Patrol said Christopher Campbell, 44, was driving north on Highway 9...
Watsonville couple seriously injured in suspected DUI crash on Freedom
CORRALITOS—A man and a woman of Watsonville were seriously injured on Dec. 17 in a head-on crash between two pickups on Freedom Boulevard.
California Highway Patrol officer Alyssa Gutierrez said Levi Barnard, 39, of Watsonville, was driving a white 2018 GMC Sierra Denali pickup west...
UCSC fires 74 striking teaching assistants demanding higher wages
SANTA CRUZ—A graduate teaching assistant who worked at UC Santa Cruz until she was fired on Friday says that a protest for higher wages has grown since it started in December to include several more UC schools.
Brenda Arjona, who is in her third-year seeking...
Witnesses: Man struck by car was not in crosswalk
A man was seriously injured Sunday night when he was struck by a vehicle while crossing the road, Santa Cruz Police spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke said.
Manny Contreras out as Watsonville High’s head football coach
In a stunning turn of events, Manny Contreras will not return as Watsonville High’s head football coach for the upcoming 2026 fall season.
Contreras received...
