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Watsonville
January 13, 2026

Swallows’ nests a joy, headache at PV High

The annual return of the cliff swallows to the Watsonville area can be a treat for bird enthusiasts, who marvel at their ability to migrate from as far away as Argentina, and then cobble their nests from thousands of beakfuls of mud on cliffs and buildings.

Local reopening speeds vary by business

covid-19 reopening watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Minutes after Santa Cruz County received state approval to reopen barbershops and hair salons on May 30, barber Rigo Navarro said he received the first of what would be a flood of calls from his loyal customers asking when he would be open for...

Council passes budget as community calls for cuts to police

watsonville budget
WATSONVILLE—What was anticipated to be a fight to save the city’s youth sports programs on Tuesday instead turned into a community call to slice into Watsonville Police Department’s $21 million budget in order to fund youth enrichment programs and social services. The Watsonville City Council...

Missing boy found safe

12-year-old Felipe Romero-Vega, was found safe Wednesday morning after going missing for several hours.

PVUSD board to consider closing Pacific Coast Charter School

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District on Wednesday will consider a proposal to close Pacific Coast Charter School after declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism made the school financially unsustainable. Located in the district’s headquarters, the hybrid school opened in 1999 and has an enrollment of...

PHOTO: Downtown Watsonville lights up

watsonville plaza holiday lights
Watsonville Plaza is aglow with thousands of colorful lights as part of the City of Watsonville's annual holiday celebrations. Next on the calendar is the annual Santa Tour around the city Dec. 13-15, where Santa and his elves and others tour area schools and...

Proposed law would limit young people from e-bikes

A newly introduced Assembly bill could keep younger kids off  e-bikes, and require testing for others. But some in the industry say the rules go too far. Every morning and afternoon throughout Santa Cruz County, hundreds of young people commute to school on bicycles powered...

Queer Youth Leadership Awards to be held this Saturday

SOQUEL—The 21st annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards will be held at Soquel High School, 401 Old San Jose Road, this Saturday.

Watsonville Hospital nurses ratify contract

Watsonville Hospital
After five months of negotiations, nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital have ratified a three-year contract that they say helps to improve patient safety and increase nurse retention. The California Nurses Association, which represents 250 nurses at the hospital, made the announcement on Dec. 9. It...

County clears out | About Town

A few days ago I rode my bike through downtown Santa Cruz and out by the wharf and the Beach Boardwalk. It was empty. Almost lifeless. Our mostly blue sky was sure a welcome sight Monday. So was the cooler air that drifted in from...
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County Supervisors approve draft BESS ordinance

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday moved forward with proposed rules aimed at regulating large-scale battery energy storage systems, which if...

Teen arrested after chase