News

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police arrested a man on Jan. 8 for several gun-related charges after he allegedly fired a gun. Irineo Ramirez, 42, was charged with unlawfully discharging a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in a public place and possession of a gun not registered to him....

Watsonville Police on Tuesday arrested a murder suspect after an hours-long standoff in a strawberry field near Trafton and McGowan roads, just outside Pájaro. Hector Rocha, 44, of Watsonville, has been charged with first-degree murder. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail, where he...

For the past four decades, people fighting cancer have gathered to strengthen that battle at the annual Relay For Life. That event unfolded Saturday at Watsonville High School, where dozens of cancer fighters and their supporters joined in a flurry of games, live music, food,...

Watsonville Police on Monday arrested a man wanted on a warrant out of Merced after a brief chase. Angel Sanchez was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail to await extradition to Merced, Watsonville Police Sgt. Brian Ridgway said. A witness who asked not to be identified...

Nearly 3,000 people in the Soquel area were without power Wednesday morning after an explosion and a fire in an underground utilities unit at about 9:40 a.m.

WRAP UP Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez is part of a large crowd that showed up Saturday to celebrate the completion of the massive Watsonville Brillante mosaic mural project on the parking structure on Rodriguez and West Beach streets. Music, dancing, food trucks,...

WATSONVILLE—Local artist Jessica Carrasco created the Born and Raised in Watsonville Scholarship last year to support youth while spreading positivity about her hometown. And despite the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent school closures this year, Carrasco is determined to continue that mission. That is why the...

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Pride (PVP) will hold its annual in-person march and celebration Sunday at the Watsonville YWCA, for the first time since 2019. PVP, an organization aiming to support South Santa Cruz County’s LGBTQ+ community, had been holding Pride events in Watsonville since 2016. Throughout...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The annual Open Farm Tours will return this weekend—albeit in a different capacity. Pre-registration is now required for small, socially-distanced outdoor tours at the following farms: Thomas Farm and Luz Del Valle Farm in Aptos, and GroundSwell Farm in Santa Cruz. Additional participating...