News

Hundreds of people joined a celebration of the eight-year anniversary of the S. Martinelli Company Store on Harvest Drive Thursday during an ice cream social.  To mark the return of the holidays, Martinelli’s offered up samples of its Apple Cider & Cranberry Jam Ice Cream. Gun...

SAN JOSE—A former executive at an international Watsonville berry giant was sentenced Thursday to more than two years in federal prison for embezzlement, United States Attorney David Anderson announced. Marc Marier, 42, was sentenced to 29 months in prison and ordered to pay more than...

Cabrillo College’s Board of Trustees on Monday appointed Francisco “Paco” Estrada to fill the Trustee Area V seat. The seat—which includes the City of Watsonville and the southern portion of Freedom—was left vacant last month when former trustee Manuel Bersamin died. Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco swore...

Be Natural Music is holding a live performance and fundraiser on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St. in Santa Cruz.

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville-based organization Farm Discovery at Live Earth announced that it raised $87,800 at its annual benefit dinner on Sept. 24. “Mesa: Farm Discovery Fall Feast in the Fields” was held at Live Earth Farm in Watsonville, and drew attendance from across the region. Guests were...

APTOS—On Nov. 14, the Cabrillo College Governing Board will meet to answer a question that has been vexing Santa Cruz County for two years: should the name of its community college be changed? The effort to possibly change Cabrillo College’s name began in 2020, as...

WATSONVILLE—A newly-hired Watsonville Police Officer was arrested Aug. 20 in an off-duty incident in South Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Tyler Leroy Stephens is accused of physically assaulting a man and vandalizing two slot machines.   The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said that Stephens called 911, saying he...

Watsonville can begin clearing a large homeless encampment on Airport Boulevard after the City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution to allow city officials to “abate the public nuisance.” The council declared the parcel a public nuisance on Nov. 18.  The 2.75-acre wooded property lies...

A longtime biotechnology researcher and public transportation advocate has lined up to challenge Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manu Koenig when his District 1 seat goes up for reelection early next year. Lani Faulkner kicked off her campaign on Sunday afternoon in a small, redwood-studded picnic...

WATSONVILLE—Carol Vides walked away from a food booth at the Santa Cruz County Fair on Wednesday, her arms loaded with corn dogs and other fried food for her family. The bacchanalia of battered and breaded, along with roasted and sweet, lined the main avenue...