Lawsuit targets Harm Reduction Coalition
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A group of Santa Cruz residents filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Sacramento County Superior Court to stop the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County (HRC) from continuing its syringe services program.
Launched in 2018, the nonprofit HRC—and “harm reduction” programs in general—operate...
Bay Area region inches closer to stay-at-home order’s ‘trigger’
CENTRAL COAST—The Bay Area region designated in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s regional stay-at-home order is expected to fall below its baseline Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed capacity sometime this weekend, meaning several industries will face more restrictions put in place to curb the spread of...
Watsonville man arrested on attempted murder charges
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police on Thursday arrested a Watsonville man for a stabbing in late November that they say left his victim in critical condition.
Angel Fernandez, 24, was charged with attempted second-degree murder. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail,...
PVUSD officially delays return to class
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District students will wait at least two extra months to return to their classrooms, the district’s trustees unanimously voted Wednesday.
The district was planning to begin a hybrid version of in-person learning starting in January, but a recent surge of Covid-19,...
‘Watsonville is in the Heart’ 2021 calendar released
WATSONVILLE—For the second year running, a group from Watsonville’s Filipino community is releasing a calendar highlighting family histories.
The “Watsonville is in the Heart” calendar is part of the Tobera Project, an ongoing project aiming to preserve, honor and celebrate that history, especially those of...
Covid-19 testing expands in Pajaro Valley, Central Coast
CENTRAL COAST—The Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas (CSVS) is now hosting a pop-up Covid-19 testing site every Saturday at Las Lomas Market, bringing a much-needed resource to the small rural community in the northern reaches of Monterey County.
The pop-up site is one...
Photo: Santa Claus arrives in Watsonville for citywide tour
Santa arrived in an R44 Robinson helicopter at Ramsay Park Wednesday. On the ground, he joined Mrs. Claus where the pair hopped in a 1967 Crown fire engine and headed out to begin a lengthy tour of Watsonville.
Over the course of six days, Santa...
Downtown Watsonville survey results to be released Dec. 15
WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville at a Dec. 15 public meeting will release the results of a recent survey that asked the community about its views and vision for the downtown corridor.
The virtual gathering is part of the City’s Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan (DWSP) endeavor,...
County to file complaints against PG&E for unpermitted timber harvesting, environmental damage
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to file a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission against Pacific Gas and Electric Company for what officials say is unpermitted timber harvesting and other activity in the wake of...
Online, local sales buoy Watsonville’s finances during pandemic
WATSONVILLE—Thanks in part to a massive surge in online sales, the City of Watsonville is adding roughly $1.7 million to its 2020-21 fiscal year budget.
The allocation, unanimously approved by the City Council at Tuesday’s virtual meeting, means some departments will bring back positions originally...
Man arrested after trying to kidnap girl
A Castroville man is facing kidnapping charges after he allegedly grabbed a 10-year-old girl who was walking home Friday.
Salvador Hernandez-Saldivar, 61, was charged with...