57.7 F
Watsonville
December 25, 2025

Should the Feds guarantee you a job?

By Eduardo Porter, of The New York Times What should the president do about jobs? For 30 years, Democratic administrations have approached the question by focusing on the overall economy and trusting that a vibrant labor market would follow. But there is a growing feeling...

New pizza shop opens in historic Pajaro location

Idle Hour Cafe Pizza pajaro
PAJARO—The tiny town of Pajaro, nestled on the most northerly corner of Monterey County, just got its first pizzeria. Thanks to a dream of Pajaro native and resident Eric Ramirez, fresh homemade pizzas are prepared in-house and baked in a brick oven at Idle Hour...

Man arrested for allegedly shooting, killing reported ‘friend’

Watsonville green valley shooting
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly shooting and killing a man who officers say was his “friend” on Jan. 7. Ricardo Garcia was taken into custody on the 1400 block of Freedom Boulevard on Feb. 12. Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said...

Watsonville man arrested in connection with January shooting in Live Oak

santa cruz shooting
WATSONVILLE—Deputies from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office arrested a suspect in Watsonville Tuesday on suspicion of attempted homicide in a Jan. 13 drive-by shooting in Live Oak. Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said deputies arrested Daniel Anthony Tostado, 19, at a home on the...

Local father-daughter musical duo releases first album

Wild & Blue record
WATSONVILLE—April Bennett was only about 2 years old when she went up on a stage with her father, Steve Bennett for the very first time. Steve was in the house band at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton for many years, and April would often join...

Watsonville sees three shootings in 48-hour period

Walker street shooting watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Three shootings in Watsonville inside of 48 hours have left law enforcement investigators with their hands full. Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said the first shooting happened early Saturday morning on the Pajaro River levee at the end of Walker Street. That shooting left...

Man in critical condition after another shooting near levee

Watsonville police
WATSONVILLE—A 46-year-old man is in critical condition after being shot early Saturday morning near the Pajaro River levee on Walker Street, an area that has seen two other shootings in recent months. Watsonville Police Department officers were dispatched to the end of Walker Street near...

PVUSD’s budget improves, charter school granted more classrooms

PVUSD
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s budget has improved somewhat since the summer, when grim projections showed the district possibly unable to meet expenses for the next three years. The district’s Board of Trustees heard the news in a budget update on Wednesday. That situation, known as...

County health director urges prioritization of older adults in vaccine distribution

vaccination santa cruz county
WATSONVILLE—Less than four days before the County of Santa Cruz was set to inoculate 1,000 people in a mass Covid-19 vaccination clinic at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, county health officials canceled every appointment on the docket. They did so because about two-thirds of those...

Volunteers needed to help landscape new pump track

Watsonville pump track ramsay park
WATSONVILLE—Work continues on the new Ramsay Park Pumptrack, including the addition of a layer of asphalt to the lumpy bicycle course. Being built by Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC), crews are currently installing new split rail fencing. When completed the park will provide an...
7,695FansLike
4,949FollowersFollow
2,895FollowersFollow

PV’s Lara-Alvarez named Santa Lucia’s top player | All-PCAL football

In 2024, Pajaro Valley senior Benito Lara-Alvarez was primarily on the defensive side of the ball for the Grizzlies. Prior to the start of this...

ICE becomes an autocratic tool