Two large Watsonville housing projects floundering
WATSONVILLE—A pair of large housing developments in Watsonville—responsible for 237 units combined—are stuck in limbo.
Hillcrest Estates, formerly Sunshine Vista, and Pacific Sunshine Garden have run into unexpected snags over the past months that have created serious doubts as to whether either will be completed.
The...
Two killed in 3-vehicle crash on Green Valley Road
WATSONVILLE—Two people, including a 16-year-old Watsonville boy, were killed on March 19 in a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Green Valley Road and Pennsylvania Drive.
Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said the 20-year-old driver, identified by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office as...
Congressman Panetta announces farmworker aid
ROYAL OAKS—Congressman Jimmy Panetta was on the Central Coast Thursday, touting two pandemic assistance programs he helped pass that will benefit agriculture workers and the industries that employ them.
The Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program will provide $650 million in grants to food...
Students’ academic careers are adding up
Brianna Vasquez is a 13-year-old about to begin her 8th-grade year at Rolling Hills Middle School.
As the days of her summer vacation wane and the academic year looms, many of her friends are enjoying their break.
But on Thursday, Brianna was taking a different path....
Watsonville City Councilman mocks community member during meeting
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville City Councilman Lowell Hurst is being criticized for taunting a community member during a Sept. 8 virtual meeting.
Hurst in the video recording of the meeting could be seen patting himself on the back, mocking comments made by a Watsonville resident during public comment....
Valle del Pájaro park opens in South County
Santa Cruz County officials on Friday cut the ribbon on the first new park to open in South County’s unincorporated region in decades.
The 38.5-acre Valle del Pájaro (Valley of the Birds) County Park, under the mantle of Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural...
Two E-bikes collide on Soquel Drive
The California Highway Patrol is reminding the public to remember laws governing motorized bicycles after a child suffered minor injuries recently when two of the bikes collided on Soquel Drive near Capitola.
Both riders were minors, the CHP said.
The CHP defines a motorized bicycle as...
Photo story: Water distribution project progressing
Water fills the newly constructed sentiment drying beds on Holohan Road Wednesday as part of the College Lake Pipeline Project, which was designed to develop College Lake as a new water supply for the Pajaro Valley.
Six miles of 30-inch water main will transport treated...
Watsonville resident takes to the sky on 92nd birthday
Marie Roberts was just 3 years old when she first started to dream of flying.
Born in Nebraska in 1928, Roberts watched her father install a large, multi-unit birdhouse in their home’s yard. She was immediately transfixed.
“I looked up at those creatures and I started...
Teen causes four-vehicle crash, then flees
Watsonville Police investigate a four-vehicle crash on South Green Valley Road Tuesday morning. Michelle Pulido, spokeswoman for Watsonville Police, said an unlicensed teen male was traveling southbound on Green Valley in a Ford F350 pickup around 10:30am when he plowed into a Ford F150...
Letters to the Editor Dec. 5-11
Suggestions for PVUSD
My recommendations regarding the Recommended Realignments of PVUSD:
1. Regarding school closure, I have advocated for an idea to sell the District Office...





















