News

WATSONVILLE—On a typical Saturday morning Watsonville City Councilman Francisco “Paco” Estrada would be sipping coffee, spending time with his family and watching Liverpool F.C. continue its dominance of the English Premier League. But Jan. 11 was no typical Saturday morning. Estrada, along with about three dozen...

SANTA CRUZ — The man who allegedly stabbed his brother to death in their home in the outskirts of Watsonville Friday morning made his first court appearance Tuesday, where he delayed making a plea. Joseph Keeler, 28, is facing murder charges, and special allegations that...

WATSONVILLE—The First Baptist Church on Madison Street has a new parking lot, complete with state-of-the-art, dimmable lights. The project came thanks to efforts of church members. Pastor Jeff Eitzen said the new lot, with 49 spaces, two of which are handicap spots, was built on...

Supervisor Caput elected Board Chair The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously elected Greg Caput as the Board Chair for 2020, and Supervisor Bruce McPherson as Vice-Chair.  “I’m honored by the trust placed in me by my colleagues on the Board,” Caput said. “As...

WATSONVILLE—Annrae Angel received an endorsement from the Pajaro Valley Cesar Chavez Democratic Club for Superior Court Judge at Monday night’s meeting in Watsonville. The club, which includes five Watsonville City Council members, also endorsed Measures R and Y, as well as Zach Friend for Supervisor,...

WATSONVILLE—Drive-thrus got the green light at Tuesday night’s Watsonville City Council meeting. By a 5-2 vote the council rejected a 45-day ban on new drive-thrus, stating there is no current and immediate threat to public health, safety or welfare and that their approval should be...

Charles Lafferty, the suspect in the bizarre projectile case in Prunedale that since February has left dozens of vehicles with shattered windows and damaged paint, was back in court Monday. The 52-year-old, who was arrested Jan. 22, is now facing 79 charges, 74 of...

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville is staring at more than $100 million of much-needed improvements and additions to its water system over the next 10 years. That’s according to the Water System Master Plan, a first-of-its-kind project the Watsonville City Council approved in April 2019 and...

By Lane Wallace, Special to the Pajaronian Bob Todd, the former Sports Editor of The Pajaronian, died Jan. 12 at his home in Bishop, Inyo County, after a short illness. He was 57. After attending Cabrillo College, Todd worked at The Pajaronian from 1984 to 1995,...

The importance of voting in America, and what gets in the public’s way from doing so, is the central topic of a newly installed exhibit at the Santa Cruz County Building, “Vote! Your Vote is Your Voice/¡Vote! Su Voto es Su Voz."  Put on by...