News

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office installed a new body scanner Tuesday at the intake area of the Main Jail to help snare contraband before it is brought in.  The Tek84 scanner, which is similar to those used at airports to screen travelers, provides...

CENTRAL COAST—With the start of winter 15 days away, the final remnants of fall have set the stage with a blast of cold wet weather, accompanied by several sessions of strong winds. David King, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Monterey, said Watsonville...

WATSONVILLE—Lizz Weihrauch knows firsthand the transformative power of music. Twenty-three years ago, Weihrauch was a single mother looking for a way to introduce her son, who was born with Down syndrome, to music. They tried out a number of programs and classes, searching for the...

Dec. 4, 2019 Tarmo Hannula: In the midst of all this rain there have been a few incredible sunrises and sunsets. On Monday as I stepped off the 69A METRO bus in Santa Cruz the evening sky was opening up into an explosive bouquet of...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously voted against granting a special use permit for a proposed business park at Main Street and Auto Center Drive. Boos Development Group, Inc. was seeking the permit so that it could construct two drive-throughs alongside roughly 20,000 square...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police are again warning the public to be careful with their credit and debit cards after an investigator found two card skimmers at a gas pump. Credit card skimmers are often installed on gas pumps by criminals to steal account information. They can be...

WATSONVILLE—Every year, Santa Cruz Toys for Tots – and the numerous volunteers that support it – make sure children across the county have a surprise on Christmas. Last year, the organization provided more than 11,000 toys, games, bikes and other gifts. On Tuesday, when a rainstorm...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Fire Department got its newest addition Monday, a 60-foot ladder truck that will replace an older model, and serve as the department’s “first-out” truck. The $1.3 million purchase came thanks to Measure G, the half-cent sales tax measure approved by voters in 2014 to...

WATSONVILLE—It was 37 years ago that Larry Chin became a reserve firefighter with Watsonville Fire Department, inspired by television shows such as “Emergency!” and the glamor of the profession. He joined the department eight years later. On Wednesday morning, he signed off from his final...

WATSONVILLE—Cool, rainy weather did not deter Watsonville residents from stopping by East Lake Shopping Center on Saturday to celebrate Small Business Saturday. As part of the nationwide movement known as Shop Small, created in 2010 by credit card giant American Express, Small Business Saturday aims...