News

Editor’s note: This is the fourth entry in a series of interviews with candidates running for office in the upcoming local elections. Interviewees will include candidates for the Watsonville City Council, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, the Pajaro Valley Water Management...

WATSONVILLE—The second phase of “Watsonville Brillante,” a five-year community art project spearheaded by local organization Community Arts Empowerment, kicked off this week. Another 1,200-square-foot mosaic featuring the artwork of Watsonville-born artist Juan Fuentes is being situated on the six-story garage adjoining the Watsonville Civic Plaza....

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Arts’ gallery at 37 Sudden St. has once again open its doors after six months of being shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The State of California is now allowing most counties to reopen museums, aquariums and galleries at a limited capacity, after...

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With the pandemic outbreak, most of us heard this warning many times: Stay at home. But that could have been softened a little bit with: “Stay at home and in the garden.” Because, for many of us, that’s what happened: People started plowing deep...

SANTA CRUZ—A Watsonville man was arrested Monday on suspicion of homicide in a 16-year-old case regarding the death of his stepdaughter, Dilcia Mejia, in Florida.  Raul Mata, 46, has been charged with first-degree murder, the Miami-Dade Police Department said. The Homicide Bureau, Cold Case Unit,...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A team of local educators is teaming up with a Santa Cruz internet provider to bridge the so-called digital divide and bring broadband service to families who have been unable to access it. The Equal Access Santa Cruz County (EASCC) fund is a...

WATSONVILLE—Soon the area’s mountain bikers and BMX riders will have a haven in the heart of the city. The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a deal with Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC) that will bring a pump track to Ramsay Park by...

WATSONVILLE—Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County has been distributing almost twice as much food to local families than usual. As such, the organization’s parking lot is now full of distribution and refrigeration trucks, forklifts and storage containers. Staff, volunteers...

WATSONVILLE—A total of 27 residents and six staff members of Watsonville Post Acute Center have tested positive for Covid-19 since July 19, and the facility has enacted several safety and infection protocols to try to combat the virus’ spread. The most recent cases—two patients—were announced...