A look back on notable stories of 2025
As the new year approaches, we take a look at the stories and imagesthat captured the most attention over the past year. All photos are by Pajaronian photographer Tarmo Hannula.
January
TERMINAL CONDITION
The year started off with a literal bang, as the battery energy storage system...
Wet weather likely for New Year
The Monterey Bay region is expected to see a wet start to the new year, with several days of rain, fog and an elevated risk of coastal flooding affecting low-lying areas near Watsonville through the weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued a Coastal Flood...
County announces new probation chief
Santa Cruz County on Monday named Sandra Mendez as its next chief probation officer, selecting a veteran corrections administrator with more than 20 years of experience in community-based justice programs.
Mendez will take over leadership of the county’s Probation Department on Feb. 2, county officials...
Suspected shark bite victim’s body recovered
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman who died after reportedly being bitten by a shark as 55-year-old Erica Fox.
Sheriff’s officials said Fox’s body was found near Davenport Beach on Saturday around 2pm along the rugged coastline north of Santa Cruz....
Watsonville names new fire chief
The City of Watsonville has named longtime firefighter Corey Schaefer as its next fire chief following the retirement of Chief Rudy López.
Schaefer, a 27-year veteran of the Watsonville Fire Department, has served as acting fire chief since August and was selected after a recruitment...
Affordable housing project back on track
Construction is set to resume on Haven Plaza, a 35-unit permanent supportive housing community at 2838 Park Ave. in Soquel after developers secured critical financing.
On Dec. 10, Park Haven Plaza was awarded a Tax-Exempt Bond allocation by the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC),...
Watsonville names new Police Chief
The city of Watsonville has selected Brian Shab as its next police chief, city officials announced Tuesday.
Shab, who has more than 27 years of public safety experience, is currently an assistant chief with the San Jose Police Department, where he oversees departmentwide operations serving...
Cat declawing, book censorship among new 2026 laws
Every year, lawmakers in Sacramento introduce a flurry of bills, most of which are eviscerated during the legislative process and end up on the Assembly or Senate trash heap. A select few make it to the governor’s desk, and assuming they dodge the veto...
Watsonville earns Cultural District Designation
Downtown Watsonville has always boasted strong multicultural roots and a rich community of artists, small businesses and residents that care deeply about their community.
Now, the state of California does, too.
The California Arts Council has named downtown Watsonville one of the state’s newest officially designated...
Doctors warn of death cap mushroom poisoning
Santa Cruz and Monterey counties are included in a list of areas statewide where people have been severely sickened by Amanita phalloides—commonly known as...
