News

WATSONVILLE—Carol Heitzig said that she doesn't like to travel. “I’ve barely been out of the state,” Heitzig said. But for the past 48 years, she has helped old, young and everyone in between see the world, travel through time and explore the universe as an unsung...

WATSONVILLE—A small group on Monday will begin a recall against Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Georgia Acosta, an effort spurred by her attempt to oust district superintendent Michelle Rodriguez in January. The group—called The Committee to Recall Georgia Acosta—is made up of educators, community...

WATSONVILLE—The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday released its preliminary results of its investigation into the crash last month at Watsonville Municipal Airport that killed three people. While not offering any fresh information, the report does give a detailed look at the crash, which occurred...

WATSONVILLE—St. Francis High School (SFHS) was a big part of Maureen Kelly’s life even before she enrolled as a student there. Her father was a basketball coach for the school, and her older siblings had all attended. So when she arrived, it was like coming...

BONNY DOON—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office confiscated an unusually large amount of cannabis and 16 rifles Tuesday at home in Bonny Doon. Santa Cruz County spokesman Jason Hoppin said Sheriff’s Office personnel assigned to the Cannabis Licensing Office served a criminal search warrant at...

Nearly 15 years after students first walked onto its campus, with generations of athletes forced to practice at other schools, Pajaro Valley High School will break ground on its athletic field on April 15, PVUSD spokeswoman Alicia Jimenez confirmed Monday.

WATSONVILLE—A new program has launched at Envision Fitness & Nutrition in downtown Watsonville, aiming to support youth by teaching them about health, wellness, stress management and more. Envision opened in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. They began with virtual health and fitness classes,...

Four awarded Rydell Visual Arts Fellowships Four local visual artists have been selected by Community Foundation Santa Cruz County to receive Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship awards for 2024 and 2025.  The awardees are Christian Rex van Minnen, Louise Leong, Maria Isabel LeBlanc and Shirin Towfiq. Each fellowship...

Observations from the Pajaro Valley and beyond.