68.9 F
Watsonville
October 8, 2026

Several fires force mass evacuations, char thousands of acres in Santa Cruz mountains

CZU August Lightning Complex
UPDATE (Aug. 21, 6:33am) Firefighters and law enforcement officers were pulled away for three separate rescue incidents to save residents who were trying to protect their homes from the CZU August Lightning Complex fires, which have now charred 50,000 acres, or roughly 78 square miles,...

Group sparks conversation about Valley’s pesticide use

A newly formed community group with the vision of reducing the use of pesticides in the Pajaro Valley is taking on international berry giant Driscoll’s. The Campaign for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture (CORA) recently sent a letter to Driscoll’s CEO Miles Reiter calling for the...

Renaissance High community worries over possible forced move

In the half-century since its inception, Renaissance High School has offered students a small, specialized serene environment for students who need to make up missing credits, and for those with difficulty fitting into a traditional school.  The remote location and small class sizes help many...

Police: father, son ran illegal dispensary

A Watsonville man already facing murder charges – and who has twice been charged with operating an illegal marijuana dispensary out of his Watsonville home – appeared in court Monday, where a judge refused a prosecutor’s request to increase his $100,000 bail.

Hidden Fortress opens second Watsonville shop

WATSONVILLE—Hidden Fortress Coffee Roasting has opened a new branch in the Cabrillo College Watsonville Center at 318 Union St.  They started roasting coffee in 2012 and have one location in Watsonville and another in Seaside. Their first store opened three years ago at 125 Hangar...

Highlighting student talent

Art instructors from 16 schools in Pajaro Valley Unified School District hung more than 400 pieces of student artwork in the Civic Plaza Building March 28 as part of the Annual PVUSD Student Art Exhibit. The art will be shown for the next year on...

Pajaronian election guide

As voters prepare to fill in their ballots for the Nov. 5 election, they are not just casting their vote for President of the United States. They are also faced with a large array of candidates and local ballot initiatives that can seem daunting....

Aztecas Youth Soccer Club unveils new clubhouse

Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell, left, joins Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy founder Gina Castañeda, Chief Probation Officer Sandra Mendez, 1440 Multiversity co-creator Joanie Kriens, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah, Ramon Gomez from Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez’s office and Watsonville Police Chief Brian Shab in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Aztecas new clubhouse.
Christian Chavez was struggling with anxiety while attending Pajaro Valley High School and frequently refused to go. “I was just staying home,” he said. Christian, 15, was eventually placed at Sequoia High School, a smaller campus tailored for students struggling academically and emotionally. He also joined Aztecas...

Rider takes lead for PVWMA seat

pvwma
WATSONVILLE—Stephen Rider had a slight 53% lead over John Kegebein for the Division B seat of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency as of 9:50pm Tuesday. Rider works as Technology Implementation Regulatory Compliance Coordinator at his family’s company, H.A. Rider and Sons, a 72-year-old, Watsonville-based...

Hospice of Santa Cruz County announces strategic partnership

Hospice of Santa Cruz County, together with Mission Hospice & Home Care in San Mateo and The Elizabeth Hospice in San Diego, have announced the formation of the California Hospice Network
9,951FansLike
5,715FollowersFollow
2,895FollowersFollow
baby angelita altar

Parents of 14-year-old arrested in Baby Angelita investigation

The parents of a 14-year-old girl at the center of the Baby Angelita investigation have both been arrested, days after the girl was found...