News

The federal government is preparing to open two new industry-specific small-business relief programs, one of them months in the works, as its signature pandemic aid effort, the Paycheck Protection Program, nears its end. The Small Business Administration said it hopes to start taking applications by...

APTOS—Sometime in the summer, Mid-County will have a new ice cream shop, a walk-up establishment near the heart of Aptos Village. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream—headquartered in Pennsylvania with 200 locations throughout the U.S. and in South Korea—features 24 flavors that are hand-made on-site daily, says...

WATSONVILLE—A small group on Monday will begin a recall against Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Georgia Acosta, an effort spurred by her attempt to oust district superintendent Michelle Rodriguez in January. The group—called The Committee to Recall Georgia Acosta—is made up of educators, community...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville High senior Josh Rocha stood on the sidelines with 40 seconds left in the game, watching every second tick away until the scoreboard read all zeros.  “I was just soaking it in, this is my last time I’m ever going to put on this...

WATSONVILLE—After a year of being shuttered, Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) has once again fully opened its gallery to the public. On April 9, the organization welcomed the public back with the start of its annual fundraising exhibit, “Take Aways: Art to Go!” Now in its...

WATSONVILLE—The city of Watsonville this coming fiscal year will use nearly $5 million in Measure D and Senate Bill 1 funds to move forward on several road improvement projects within city limits. The list of projects, approved 6-0 by the City Council Tuesday, includes a...

WATSONVILLE—After more than seven decades in business, Yamashita Market—Santa Cruz County’s only store dedicated to Asian cooking supplies—is set to close its doors for good, likely sometime in July. The store’s owner Goro Yamashita says that business was steadily declining even before Covid-19 forced businesses...

WATSONVILLE—Young people in South County suffering from mental health crises now have the option of a response that does not have to involve hospitalization. The South County Mobile Emergency Response Team for Youth (MERTY) was created to provide community and field-based crisis intervention services to...

WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help from the public in gaining information about a vehicle crash early Tuesday on the outskirts of Watsonville. Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn in a Facebook post said that sometime between 4-6am there was a solo-vehicle...

WATSONVILLE—Several new businesses are in the works around Watsonville, all forging ahead despite the looming cloud of the pandemic. A new drive-thru Starbucks in Watsonville Square, a Mexican food restaurant in the historic Mansion House, a panaderia (bakery) on East Fifth Street and a taqueria...