Man arrested for attempted murder
A Watsonville man was arrested Tuesday at his home for charges of attempted murder after he allegedly fired a gun into a residence.
Supervisors table Kratom ban
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tabled an ordinance that would have banned the sale of Kratom, opting instead for a watered-down version that prohibits the sale to anyone under 21 but includes a public education component.
Kratom is a plant grown...
More vaccines heading to Watsonville, other disadvantaged communities, state says
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a Thursday press conference announced that 40 percent of the state’s vaccination doses will be prioritized for disadvantaged communities, a move he said was needed to address the disproportionate impact that the novel coronavirus has had on...
Local author to discuss new novel at Kelly’s Books
WATSONVILLE—When author Edward R. Weingold was only 8 years old, he was scanning through his parents’ world atlas when he came across a life-changing photograph.
The graphic image showed a pile of corpses—victims of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Nazi Germany.
Weingold said he remembers his...
Notable laws taking effect in 2025
California lawmakers in 2024 introduced 4,821 bills, but most of them did not become law, having been tossed or otherwise rejected during the months-long legislative process during which most never saw the light of day.
Just 1,206 made it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, with...
Pajaro Middle School students could return for the 2024-25 year
When the Pajaro River Levee broke during heavy winter rains in March, floodwaters rushed into the town of Pajaro, displacing hundreds of residents and businesses.
It also inundated Pajaro Middle School, forcing the school to close while work crews and district officials assessed the damage...
PHOTO: AIDS/LifeCycle rolls through Watsonville
Bicyclists in the annual AIDS/LifeCycle, a seven-day, 545-mile trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, roll through Watsonville Monday morning. Since 1994, participants have raised more than $300 million for the HIV- and AIDS-related services. This year alone they raised more than $11,711,785.
County reports 8th Covid-19 related death
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Public Health Division announced Wednesday morning the eighth death of a resident due to Covid-19.
The resident, who died in their home, was a Hispanic male in his early 40s who lived in South County. While the individual had...
Jim Barsi—owner of Barsi’s Liquor Store—dies
James Joseph “Jim” Barsi, who ran his eponymous liquor store on East Lake Avenue for a half-century before selling the business and retiring in...
