Prescribed burn sparks Estrada Fire in rural South Santa Cruz County
WATSONVILLE—A prescribed burn that got out of hand near the southern border of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties has scorched at least 150 acres as of late Friday, the Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit (CZU) said.
Cal Fire CZU at 8:41pm said...
Free library built in Pinto Lake County Park
WATSONVILLE—A trip to Pinto Lake County Park can include a picnic, time at the playground and a stroll along the lake.
Now, it can also include picking up – or dropping off – a book at a Little Free Library, which was installed on Sept....
PVUSD could face financial woes
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez had a grim prediction Wednesday night for the district’s Board of Trustees.
The wide-ranging financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic–which economists say will likely cause a recession–will have serious impacts for the next school year, Rodriguez said.
“It’s...
National 9 Motel demolition slated for next week
WATSONVILLE—The National 9 Motel in the heart of the city will be razed in the coming days to make way for a four-story, 80-room Hilton Home2 Suites hotel.
Kamalesh Patel, the owner of the half-acre lot at 1 Western Drive, was issued a demolition permit...
Casa de la Cultura hosts annual giveaway
Dozens of families lined up along Salinas Road in Pajaro Monday morning, children’s faces peering from backseat windows, as they waited their turn for Santa Claus to hand them their Christmas gifts.
But the presents were not the only thing the visitors received.
The drive through...
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...
Pajaro Valley Unified: De Serpa jumps ahead, Schacher barely trailing
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Area 1 incumbent Kim De Serpa took an early–and significant–lead as early results poured in, showing a 66.1% lead over her opponent Natalain Schwartz.
In a small gathering at Cantine Winepub, De Serpa said she was looking forward to...
Two suspects arrested in Pasatiempo homicide
PASATIEMPO—A man and a woman have been arrested in a suspected homicide that took place Tuesday on the 800 block of Graham Hill Road.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ashley Kheen said detectives arrested Caitlin Crenshaw and Cody Huynh, both 23-year-old transients, in San...
Countywide history fair set for Watsonville
In the late 1800s, Claus Spreckels ran a mill that processed locally grown sugar beets, a thriving industry that is generally credited with seeing Santa Cruz County through troubled economic times.
But when Spreckels tried to underpay the Japanese community—cutting their wages in half—they walked,...
Photo Story: Two-vehicle crash on Center Street
A Watsonville firefighter cleans up at the scene of a two-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon on Center Street in Watsonville. Watsonville police said the female...
