News

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved nine new courses at five high schools that will bolster the district’s newly retooled Career Technical Education program. The new courses were created as extensions of the existing ones, with the penultimate...

Work continues on the new massive beer and restaurant supply warehouse just off of Highway 1 (between Riverside Drive and Green Valley Road) on the Manabe-Ow property in Watsonville. Approved by the Watsonville City Council in March, the 155,847-square-foot, two-story industrial warehouse is still in...

Cabrillo Stage’s Summer Musical Festival is back. The theater company is returning after a year of shutdowns due to Covid-19 with a series of live performances in July. Everything from a Big Band concert to a production of “Pirates of Penzance” will be held at...

The harvest season is in full swing at Crystal Bay Farm, a family-run farm in Watsonville specializing in pumpkins, winter and heirloom squash, berries and more. The annual pumpkin patch is currently covered in skeletons and skulls, ghouls and ghosts, spiderwebs and more for the...

With most people staying close to home during the pandemic, looking for things to do and ways to stay safe, local nurseries have seen an uptick in customers. Stay-at-home orders have prompted many to find new hobbies—and gardening has been a popular choice. Sierra Azul...

It has not been an easy harvest season for California apples. When temperatures shot up into the 100s in August and September, sparking wildfires across the state and harming numerous agricultural commodities, apples were one of the hardest-hit crops. The fruit is susceptible to...

A man gathers information at the table for the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Saturday during the Santa Cruz County History Fair at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple. Over 30 tables, from Boulder Creek and Scotts Valley, to Davenport, Capitola, Santa Cruz and Watsonville, filled...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Renters and landlords in Santa Cruz County who have been impacted by the pandemic are eligible for more than $16 million of federal funds to help pay utilities, home energy costs and rent, county spokesperson Jason Hoppin announced Monday. The funds are allocated...

WATSONVILLE—When Bike Santa Cruz County approached South County officials to start up a monthly community bike ride, Watsonville Cyclery owner Julian “Jules” Mandujano was eager to get involved. Every last Friday of the month, Mandujano offers up his business at 25 East 5th St. as...