News

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) returns March 11-20, with virtual and in-person events to celebrate its 10th anniversary.  Consuelo Alba, executive director of WFF, said it felt “unreal” to be reaching such a milestone. “We are incredibly happy to be celebrating 10 years because when we...

Valencia Elementary School was closed Friday after numerous students were sickened by what is likely norovirus. The school will reopen Tuesday. Pajaro Valley Unified School District notified parents in an email on Nov. 7. “The purpose of the school closure is to stop the additional...

WATSONVILLE—Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for Watsonville neighborhoods with a high risk of flooding during this Wednesday’s storm, which is said to hit the region early tomorrow morning.  City officials urge residents who live within this map's blue-shaded area to evacuate tonight. Choosing not...

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously declared a state of emergency after the Jan. 16 fire at the Vistra battery storage facility in Moss Landing, a move that allows county officials to better respond to the disaster, and to request state...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Two Santa Cruz County residents died Tuesday due to complications from the novel Coronavirus, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel announced during a Wednesday press conference. The fatalities bring the county’s death toll to six. Newel said Covid-19 was the leading factor...

The family of a 15-year-old who was shot to death in Watsonville last year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and the County of Santa Cruz.

Ted Crocker (left), founder of Crocker's Lockers, is joined by Supervisor Felipe Hernandez (right) and others Friday in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Crocker's Lockers self-storage facility on Airport Boulevard at Nielson Street in Watsonville. Crocker, a Watsonville High graduate, class of '62,...

WATSONVILLE—Monte Vista Christian School football senior standout Brendan Doyle was everywhere his coaches needed him to be this season, both on and off the field. His hard work and dedication to the game didn’t go unrecognized as coaches within the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic...

WATSONVILLE—On an emotion-packed night that featured warm sendoffs for several city staffers, Ari Parker stepped in as Watsonville’s mayor during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. A lifelong Watsonville resident and an educator for more than three decades, Parker was sworn in by Assistant City Clerk Irwin...