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Watsonville
November 15, 2025

Coffeeville keeps brewing | About Town

Tarmo Hannula I stopped by Coffeeville in the East Lake Village Shopping Center this morning and was relieved to see them running daily hours. Now they’re making clever use of their Dutch door, which enables them to offer walk-up window service. Their barista Aliyah Piñon...

Watsonville Police arrest suspected arsonist

watsonville police
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police on April 16 arrested a homeless man for allegedly setting two fires. Elio Ortega, 41, was charged with arson. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail, jail records showed. Ortega was arrested after officers responded to a report...

PVUSD to lay off two dozen employees

PVUSD
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a proposal to lay off as many as 24 classified employees, a move district officials say was necessary due to declining enrollment. Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez told the board that the district has lost...

The importance of staying in place

The Pajaronian
Words to live by I would like to share an uplifting quote, in these difficult days of the coronavirus, with the Pajaronian readers. It’s a real gem, that is credited to President Theodore Roosevelt, “Believe you can, and you’re halfway there!” Those are wise words from...

Santa Cruz police treating suspicious death as a homicide

SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz police are investigating the death of a man whose body was discovered Sunday in a rural setting in the Soquel hills. A person checking a property line in a wooded area off of Glen Canyon Road near Redwood Drive in Santa Cruz...

Man who tried to kill officers denied parole

watsonville police
SALINAS—A man convicted two decades ago of trying to kill two Watsonville Police officers was denied parole this week after a hearing at Salinas Valley State Prison, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell announced Wednesday. Manuel Murillo, 42, was also convicted of dozens of...

Sheriff Hart: ‘We have the right people’ in Tushar Atre Murder case

tushar atre murder arrest
SANTA CRUZ—Dozens of law enforcement officials in two states arrested four men on Tuesday in connection with the Oct. 1 kidnapping and murder of tech executive and Pleasure Point resident Tushar Atre. Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said during a Thursday press conference that...

WPD Chief condemns​ ‘disgusting​’ killing of George Floyd

Watsonville Police chief David Honda
Watsonville Police Chief David Honda on Friday released this video condemning the May 25 killing of George Floyd. In a video that has been viewed by millions of people around the world, Minneapolis, Minn. police officer Derek Chauvin was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck...

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...

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...
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Letters to the Editor Nov. 14-20

PVUSD cuts necessary The Pajaro Valley Unified School District is finally being forced to face financial reality. Many of the positions now being eliminated were...

Let them eat cake

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