Three Watsonville men arrested in connection with Santa Cruz shooting
SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz Police on Sunday arrested three suspected gang members after one of them fired a shot into a residence on Blaine Street.
Gustavo Garcia, 19, and Jose Lopez, 28, were charged with attempted homicide. Both face weapons and gang charges. They were booked...
Police: Teen on probation had stolen handgun at Watsonville football game
WATSONVILLE—An 18-year-old was arrested at the Belgard Kup high school football game by officers with the Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team (SCCACT) who say he was carrying a loaded, stolen handgun.
An SCCACT detective saw Adrian Ayala during halftime of the annual game between Watsonville...
City restarts bulky items collection program
WATSONVILLE—The city of Watsonville has reinvented its Bulky Items Collection Program.
Abandoned years ago, the program now offers Watsonville residents a free chance to unload mattresses, appliances, some furniture, tires, carpeting and more.
Gabe Gordo, Solid Waste Division Manager, said the program is available to residents...
Equestrian competition back in the saddle
WATSONVILLE—The annual Summer Fun in Watsonville Outback Cutting competition is unfolding at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.
Around 280 horses arrived mid-week for the five-day event that drew folks from around California, Arizona, Colorado and Texas.
Cutting is a western-style equestrian competition where a horse and...
Aptos dentist office burglarized
APTOS—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is searching for two suspects in a late-night burglary of an Aptos dentist’s office on Aug. 21.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said surveillance video captured two men between the ages of 18-30 burglarizing the office. They made off...
Lake Tahoe Suffocates With Smoke
TAHOE CITY, Calif.—When the pandemic swept through California last year, Lake Tahoe, the azure gem of the Sierra Nevada, swarmed with city dwellers fleeing to the purity of its alpine air.
Now the stampede has reversed. With a fast-expanding wildfire roaring just one ridge away...
Watsonville City Council approves development as possible litigation looms
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council approved a proposed 21-condo development across the street from the Watsonville Municipal Airport that could face litigation from the Watsonville Pilots Association (WPA).
The project would redevelop a steel fabrication business at 547 Airport Blvd. that has stood for at least...
PVUSD trustees renew superintendent contract
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday agreed to renew the contract for Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez for another four years.
Trustees Oscar Soto, Maria Orozco, Jennifer Schacher, Jennifer Holm and Kim De Serpa voted in favor of the approval. Trustees Georgia...
PV Arts opens new metalwork exhibit
WATSONVILLE—A new exhibit has opened at Pajaro Valley Arts’ (PVA) gallery in Watsonville, highlighting the artistic medium of metalwork.
Presented by the Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild (MBMAG)—a local organization aiming to promote the form and local artists—the show, titled “Reflections,” includes a wide range...
Newsom recall deadline draws near
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The push to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom is moving along, with 20,000 of the 170,000 ballots mailed to county voters already returned to the Santa Cruz County Elections Office.
That’s according to County Clerk Tricia Webber, who said that none of the ballots...
Public defenders plan April 23 protest over caseloads, funding gaps
Public defenders in Santa Cruz County will join colleagues across California and the nation April 23 in a coordinated protest highlighting what they describe...
