News

Residents of the Martinelli Street area of Watsonville have reported a rash of tire thefts over the past few weeks.

After a late spring rain storm hit the area over the weekend, UC Santa Cruz students continued their protest of the Israel-Gaza war, occupying the University’s Quarry Plaza in an action meant to pressure the school into divesting from companies tied to Israel and...

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Arts’ gallery at 37 Sudden St. has once again open its doors after six months of being shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The State of California is now allowing most counties to reopen museums, aquariums and galleries at a limited capacity, after...

Watsonville Poet Laureate, Victoria Bañales will read from her new book of poetry on Oct. 2 alongside four other local poets.  “The Sun Will Not Harm You by Day, Nor the Moon by Night,” is a 143-page softbound book of 54 poems by Bañales who...

SANTA CRUZ—A Santa Cruz man was arrested Saturday after allegedly setting a house on fire while people were still inside. Ryan Lee Brand, 45, was charged with attempted murder and arson. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail, jail...

PASO ROBLES—The suspect who allegedly shot and killed a man and shot a San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputy early Wednesday was killed by police Thursday. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office identified the shooter as Mason James Lira, 26, a transient from the Monterey area. Lira...

A Watsonville man was arrested Friday after he allegedly ran from a police officer during a routine contact, climbed onto the roof of a garage and threw objects at police officers, Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said.

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council unanimously denied a special use permit for a proposed propane storage facility after a more than two-hour hearing in which several members of the public called the project an example of “environmental racism.” Richard Kojak of Mountain Propane Service in Felton...

SACRAMENTO—A bill that would increase protections for California’s farmworkers during hazardous smoky conditions created by seasonal wildfires is making its way through the state legislature. Assembly Bill 73, also known as the Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Protections Act, recently passed the Assembly Committee on Labor and...