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January 14, 2026

‘Watsonville Brillante’ sees first mosaic installment

Local artist Kathleen Crocetti says she feels a tremendous weight has been lifted from her shoulders. The first phase of her five-year mosaic project, “Watsonville Brillante,” was installed last week: a 1,200-square-foot section of a large mural on the six-story Civic Plaza parking garage...

Side Ride | Photo Gallery

Do you have a recent photo you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to [email protected] or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the...

Police taking ‘barbaric protest’ threats seriously

watsonville protests
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police say they are taking seriously threats made on social media of a “barbaric protest” that is set to begin at the Overlook Shopping Center on Main Street at 5pm. The garish yellow flier that circulated widely featured a drawing of George Floyd, who...

Sheriff’s office warns of phone scam

Santa Cruz County Sheriff
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a scam in which callers warn residents they have a warrant, and demand money. The individual has identified himself as “John Steel” with the Sheriff’s Office and requests money from the victim. The number...

Watsonville High’s seniors clear personal, societal hurdles en route to diplomas

Watsonville High graduation
WATSONVILLE—Sometimes a blunt reality check can completely change the trajectory of a person’s life. A strong support system also helps. Geraldine Gonzales-Jaramillo can attest to that. Now one of Watsonville High School’s 438 graduates from the class of 2020, Gonzales-Jaramillo was in danger of slipping through...

Local nonprofits brace for budget cuts

meels on wheels
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Gov. Gavin Newsom on May 27 released his revision of the California budget, and through it proposed to eliminate funding for Community Based Adult Services (CBAS) no sooner than July 1. CBAS programs aim to provide seniors alternatives to nursing facilities and other...

County supervisors allow outdoor dining, shopping

Santa Cruz County
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal to allow restaurants and businesses in the unincorporated areas of the county to use their parking lots for outdoor eating and shopping areas.  The plan was designed to help ease...

Supervisor Friend hosting tele-town hall to discuss farmworker protections

Zach Friend
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend tonight will host a tele-town hall from 6-7pm with guest Tom AmRhein to talk about the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. AmRhein, the former president of the Farm Bureau and the current chair of...

Santa Cruz County jury trials to resume

Santa Cruz County courthouse
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Superior Court plans to resume jury trials in late summer, a little more than two months after they were temporarily suspended due to concerns over Covid-19. Presiding Judge Paul Burdick announced on March 17 that all jury trials—including criminal, civil...

A giant falls: Fire destroys Aptos radio tower

Aptos fire antenna
APTOS—A blaze that Aptos/La Selva Fire said was likely started by a homeless person seeking warmth has felled one of the towers that once reached into the sky alongside Highway 1 in Aptos. The tower was part of a quintet of now-silent radio antennae that...
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Watsonville nurses rally against ICU closure

Several dozen Watsonville Community Hospital nurses and staff warned Wednesday that closing the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit—an idea they said officials have floated amid...