County Supervisors approve draft BESS ordinance
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday moved forward with proposed rules aimed at regulating large-scale battery energy storage systems, which if approved in November would allow the controversial facilities in unincorporated areas while giving county officials some oversight when they are...
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 recovery of a loaded gun, according to Watsonville Police.
Around 11pm, a silver Honda Civic was stopped near West Sixth and...
Photo story: Pickup goes off-road
North Monterey County Fire officials join American Medical Response paramedics in treating the male driver of a pickup who veered off of Hall Road Jan. 6 in Las Lomas. The California Highway Patrol said the man lost control of a GMC around 2:30pm while...
Mountain lion seen on Main Street
Watsonville police warned Wednesday that a mountain lion was seen behind 1075 Main Street heading toward Harkins Slough Road.
The department said that residents should remain alert, especially when walking in open or rural areas. Animal control and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife...
PV Arts readies first show of 2026
Pajaro Valley Arts is preparing for its first show in 2026, an annual members’ exhibit titled “Welcome Home.”
Curated by first-time curator Jim Turner, the exhibit will feature 150 artists and will run from Jan. 13-Feb. 21 in the historic Porter Building in downtown Watsonville.
“We...
Annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair approaches
The Santa Cruz Fungus Fair is set to run Jan. 9-11 in Santa Cruz.
Without fungus, there would be no bread, cheese, beer, or wine, the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz says. Further, anti-cholesterol medicine was developed from mushrooms.
The public is invited to the Santa...
Some Real ID holders need to renew
Roughly 325,000 California residents may need to renew their driver’s licenses or ID cards after the California Department of Motor Vehicles discovered that outdated software gave them incorrect expiration dates.
In a New Year’s Eve press release, DMV officials said they will send notices in...
Christmas Bird Count numbers are in
A local group of birders joined forces to make a list of area birds as part of the national Christmas Bird Count on New Year’s Day, tallying 1,239 individuals.
That number of feathered denizens was a significant increase from last year, when the group counted...
Addis takes aim at third Presidential terms
Assemblymember Dawn Addis has introduced legislation aimed at preventing constitutionally ineligible presidential candidates from appearing on California ballots.
Assembly Bill 1539 is Addis’s second bill of the 2026 legislative session.
The measure, titled the Protect Our Democracy Act, would make it a crime to attempt to...
Watsonville holds vigil for woman shot and killed by ICE
Around 150 people gathered in Watsonville Plaza Thursday night in a vigil for 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Wednesday in Minnesota.
Carrying candles and homemade signs honoring Good—a mother of three—the gathering marked...
Watsonville’s Guillen records five goals in trounce over King City |...
Watsonville senior forward Diego Guillen notched five goals in the Wildcatz's 7-2 thumping win over King City in Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division...




















