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Watsonville
January 9, 2026

Fires, pandemic present new challenges for gardeners

One facet of the stay-at-home, and work-from-home coronavirus ordeal is an uptick in home gardening and landscaping. With extra time spent around the home, some folks are putting more time, and money, into the land that surrounds their homes. “They’re stuck at home more and...

Man in mid-30s is Santa Cruz County’s 212th Covid-related death

Watsonville coronavirus
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A man in his mid-30s died of Covid-19-related complications on Sept. 14, Santa Cruz County Public Health announced Tuesday. The man, County spokesperson Jason Hoppin said in a press release, was the 212th Covid-related death in the county. He was not vaccinated against...

Parks Commission nixes public art fee

WATSONVILLE—The Parks and Recreation Commission on Monday recommended Watsonville City Council turn down a $200 processing fee for murals and other public art. The fee would be used to defray the cost of city staff preparing reports on proposed public art for presentation to the...

Ocean scene | 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 name...

Police arrest suspected trash can arsonist

SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz Police arrested a woman early Thursday morning after she allegedly set fires in several garbage cans between Ocean and Church streets. Nataliya Zubrilina, 34, has been charged with arson. She was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail and was being held Friday...

Hwy 1 closed at La Fonda Avenue overpass for more than 90 minutes

SANTA CRUZ—Highway 1 in Santa Cruz, between Morrissey Boulevard and 41st Avenue, was closed for more than 90 minutes in both directions due to “police activity” on the La Fonda Avenue overcrossing, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said. Just before 3pm multiple callers told...

Monthly benefit for families with children starts Thursday

Child Tax Credit
WATSONVILLE—Congressman Jimmy Panetta visited Watsonville Monday to announce the first payments of the expanded Child Tax Credit included in President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).  Starting July 15, eligible parents will receive their first monthly payment of up to $300 per child under...

Two killed in Monterey plane crash

Monterey plan crash
MONTEREY—Two people aboard a twin-engine propellor airplane died Tuesday morning after the small aircraft slammed into a home in Monterey off of Highway 68. Eric Gutierrez, a safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed Wednesday that two people died when the Golden Eagle...

PVUSD deals with ramifications of distance learning

pvusd learning loss
WATSONVILLE—As the pandemic recedes—along with the stay-at-home education model that upended the 2020-21 school year—thousands of young people across the county are set to return to the classroom in the fall. This will be no easy task, as legions of students now accustomed to learning...

Watsonville Nature Center to host grand reopening Saturday

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Nature Center is opening for visitors this weekend for the first time since the pandemic. A bilingual open house will be held Saturday from 3-5pm, with a workshop on emergency wildfire preparedness. Numerous organizations and agencies will be on hand for the event,...
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Teen arrested after chase

A routine traffic stop turned into a chase late Tuesday night that ended with the arrest of a 17-year-old suspected gang member and the...