News

WATSONVILLE—Jenna Rodriguez has only worked for Digital NEST for about a month, but she says it feels like she’s been a part of the organization for much longer. “I actually went to first birthday event,” she said. “It was small and intimate, and it...

WATSONVILLE—Paul De Worken left the Watsonville City Council Chambers sad and confused on Oct. 22. A few days later he was in a better mood, but his confusion did not fade. After the City Council approved a $200 fee for community initiated public art on...

WATSONVILLE—An ancient tradition from Mexico of honoring their dead continues to live through modern-day celebrations known as Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, this time of year. On Nov. 1 hundreds visited Watsonville City Plaza to pay homage to past loved ones...

WATSONVILLE—A group of neighbors is again fighting the construction of a hotel in the heart of downtown, this time claiming the City of Watsonville has for years worked with a company that is currently suspended by two state agencies. AARAV Hospitality, LLC was penalized and...

WATSONVILLE—After a half-century in business, Jim Barsi has sold his eponymous liquor store, and will retire in December. That’s when new owners will take over, and rename it Watsonville Fiesta Liquor. But that’s a story for the future. The story of Barsi’s Liquor Store began in...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Parks and Community Services (PCS) Department recently received a large grant to help rebuild the Muzzio Park playground that was burned down in early June. GameTime, a national commercial playground manufacturer, will provide $15,000-37,000 on top of the $25,000 the City received in...

Female-dominated cast puts fresh twist on classic story WATSONVILLE—Watsonville High School drama instructor David Scott believes that author S.E. Hinton would appreciate his stage adaptation of her 1967 novel, “The Outsiders.” Under the suggestion of her publisher, Susan Eloise Hinton had used her first and middle...

Nov. 6, 2019 Tarmo Hannula: Nine people were shot and killed, some burned beyond recognition, in a remote mountainous region of northern Mexico Monday by what officials are saying are a band of drug cartel members. Three mothers and six children died in the attack...

SALINAS — The two men that escaped from the Monterey County Adult Detention Facility early Saturday have been captured. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said 21-year-old Santos Samuel Fonseca and 20-year-old Jonathan Salazar, who were both awaiting trial on unrelated murder charges and other felony...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a proposal to sell a property in Live Oak, and a plan to develop it into an affordable housing project that will include a dental and a medical clinic. MidPen Housing, which is purchasing...