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Watsonville
March 1, 2026

Wetlands Watch offering free shade trees to residents, businesses

In 2017, Watsonville Wetlands Watch (WWW) and the City of Watsonville received a joint grant from the California Department of Fire and Forestry and the California Climate Investment Program. This boost of funding helped form WWW’s Forest and Climate Resiliency program, kickstarting a citywide...

Second Harvest food distributions to run through August

Second Harvest Food Bank
SANTA CRUZ—Second Harvest Food Bank hosted a drive-thru community food distribution Friday at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Supported by numerous volunteers and members of the California National Guard, the distribution unfolded under overcast skies as part of ongoing county-wide distributions that alternate between the...

Photos: PVUSD offices, schools raise Progress Flag

pvusd progress flag
Pajaro Valley Unified School District students and other young people raised the Progress Flag Friday during a ceremony at the district’s headquarters in Watsonville.  The event—attended by roughly 60 people, including PVUSD Board President Jennifer Holm and Vice-President Jennifer Schacher—was one of several flag-raising...

County changes rules for vacation rentals

Santa Cruz County
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved placing a moratorium on new vacation rentals countywide, along with several other rules meant to limit the growing industry. The trustees will consider on June 30 whether to extend the 45-day moratorium. Supervisor John...

City Council approves two housing projects

The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $1.8 million loan to a company that plans to build a 61-unit, multi-family low-income housing development in Watsonville, along with a 30-bed residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment center.

Man found guilty in kidnapping, assault case

Santa Cruz County
SANTA CRUZ—A man who kidnapped, assaulted, robbed and shot his victim through the genitals last year was found guilty May 19 of aggravated mayhem, kidnapping, robbery and assault with a firearm, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell announced. Tilden Ball, 37, is set to...

Two bodies pulled from sunken vehicle in Moss Landing Harbor

MOSS LANDING—Two women died after their car plunged into the water of Moss Landing Harbor sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victims as Maria Vanessa Carrango, 35, and Esther Monique Espinoza, 28, both of Salinas....

PVWMA board advances College Lake Project

watsonville smell
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA) Board of Directors unanimously approved the College Lake Integrated Resources Management Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Addendum at its meeting on July 20. As part of the action, the Board approved an updated version of the project that...

Newcomer Quiroz-Carter to challenge Councilman Gonzalez in District 2

Watsonville city council
WATSONVILLE—When Vanessa Quiroz-Carter returned home from college after earning her master’s at Cal State East Bay, she saw that Watsonville had undergone some serious changes. “Which was really exciting,” she said. But she also noticed a lot of stagnation. “Which was disappointing,” she added. If elected into Watsonville...

City to sell downtown parking lot to Ow family

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council today will decide whether to sell the Resetar Parking Lot in downtown Watsonville to the Ow family for $542,850. The sale is part of the consent agenda of today’s Council meeting. Items on the consent agenda typically pass without deliberation, though...
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Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah addresses about 150 high school students at the start of the Santa Cruz Countuy Youth Civics Summit at Cabrillo College.

Students learn the power of the vote at Civics Summit

On Friday, about 150 high school juniors from across Santa Cruz County cast their first ballots on three issues that, if passed, would dramatically...