News

WATSONVILLE—A buggy that once transported people along the streets of San Jose in the 1880s and ‘90s is now on display at the Agricultural History Project, restored and with a fresh coat of paint. Hassan Zamani, who has volunteered with the AHP for two years,...

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville on Tuesday will ask the City Council to allow its moratorium on evictions to expire at the end of the month, and instead defer to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide executive order and protections put in place by California’s Judicial Council. The...

Johanna Miller His Dark Materials (HBO/BBC) I was both excited and nervous when I heard that BBC and HBO would be releasing a miniseries adaptation of my favorite book series, “His Dark Materials” by Philip Pullman. As a longtime fan, I was hoping it would at...

A special joint council meeting Saturday brought together Watsonville City Council, City Manager Rene Mendez, other city and county leaders and the public for a discussion of the swelling homeless problem.   In 2023, compared to 2022, homelessness overall rose by 15% in Watsonville while there...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at its March 9 meeting will see the results of a recently conducted rate study that recommends the city increase the cost of its utilities over the next five years. The study, conducted by Raftelis Financial Inc., says the hikes are...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Second Harvest Food Bank has been facing an unprecedented amount of need throughout the county since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in March. They have more than doubled their weekly donations, averaging about 1.2 million pounds per month in distribution. The Holiday Food...

A weekly column that celebrates local businesses — especially eateries, watering holes, coffee shops and the like.

A 16-year-old cancer survivor has become a philanthropist.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—One woman lost her job and couldn’t pay rent, and then found herself in a battle with her landlord, who didn’t believe her story and threatened eviction.  A family financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic found themselves battling a landlord who raised their...