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Watsonville
January 18, 2026

Former NMC High coach writes book on football stories

The Heart of Football
Phil Maas, a former head coach for the North Monterey County High football team, had one of the best turnaround seasons for any team in Monterey County. He took a group that went from winless to undefeated in the span of a season. Maas shares...

Watsonville schools to compete in SCCAL when Covid restrictions loosen

The Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League on Wednesday took a big step forward in the anticipated return of high school sports, announcing its 2021 sports seasons for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. The board of managers took it a step further with...

Watsonville Community Hospital owners abruptly ousted

Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project
WATSONVILLE—The company that purchased Watsonville Community Hospital two years ago—Los Angeles-based Halsen Healthcare—has been removed from a leadership role as of Jan. 18. Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings will now run the hospital on an interim basis. The announcement came Monday via an email to...

California Pajarosa navigates a changing industry

Business at California Pajarosa Floral, one of Watsonville’s last remaining large flower growers, has altered drastically since the outbreak of Covid-19 last year. Already dealing with an evolving industry before the pandemic due to growth in offshore production, things came to a sudden halt at...

State prioritizes farmworkers for Covid-19 vaccinations

CALIFORNIA—As California deals with a surge of Covid-19 cases, hope is in sight as the vaccine begins to be administered to healthcare workers and long-term care residents. And on Jan. 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that farmworkers would be included in the next tier. The announcement...

Watsonville police nab man wanted for recent shooting

WATSONVILLE—A man wanted for an attempted murder in Watsonville on Jan. 7 was arrested Tuesday during a high-risk traffic stop. Ian Coetzee, 21, was charged with attempted murder. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $375,000 bail, jail records showed. According to...

Watsonville to fly LGBTQ Pride flag in June

Watsonville city council
WATSONVILLE—The LGBTQ Pride flag will fly in place of the city of Watsonville flag at the Civic Plaza in June after the Watsonville City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution put forth by Mayor Jimmy Dutra, the city’s first openly gay person to hold...

Watsonville City Council unanimously rejects propane facility

watsonville propane facility city council
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council unanimously denied a special use permit for a proposed propane storage facility after a more than two-hour hearing in which several members of the public called the project an example of “environmental racism.” Richard Kojak of Mountain Propane Service in Felton...

California capital quiet for inauguration

Sacramento inauguration day
As Joseph Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States Wednesday morning, a heavy police and military presence in Sacramento was met with a meager number of protesters and eerily quiet streets.

Freedom Fire forces evacuations just north of Watsonville

Santa Cruz county winds fires
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Heavy winds pummeled the Central Coast Monday night and into Tuesday, causing numerous power outages, scores of power lines to crash to the ground and several wildland fires, including a large one just north of Watsonville. Dubbed the Freedom Fire by Cal Fire’s...
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Bag containing gun, ammo found at Aptos High

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies and Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials are investigating after a bag containing a firearm and ammunition was found...