News

Oct. 25, 2019 Tarmo Hannula: Twelve wildland fires are burning around the state, forcing widespread evacuations, destroying scores of homes and buildings, closing freeways and roads and sending herds of firefighter strike teams to out-of-county responses. In Sonoma County, 21,900 acres have burned in the...

SANTA CRUZ—Nearly five years after Michael Escobar allegedly gunned down a rival gang member and killed a young girl in the crossfire, his case is finally being presented to a jury. Jurors heard opening arguments Tuesday in the case that is likely to take at...

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville is installing green bike lanes on five heavily-trafficked streets throughout the city. City officials celebrated the start of the project with a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday at the corner of Bridge Street and Hushbeck Avenue. That installment will stretch from the intersection...

Watsonville firefighters battled a blaze that started in the attic of a residence at 21 Authur Rd. Tuesday around 1:47 p.m. The house was deemed a public nuisance on May 14, and Watsonville City officials ordered the property abated on May 28. The single-family home...

WATSONVILLE—Jesus Montejano is eager to put his skills to use for the community he calls home. After recently graduating with honors from Cabrillo College’s business program, Montejano has set his sights on transforming a restaurant located next to the iconic Five Mile House on the...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council today will decide whether to sell the Resetar Parking Lot in downtown Watsonville to the Ow family for $542,850. The sale is part of the consent agenda of today’s Council meeting. Items on the consent agenda typically pass without deliberation, though...

SANTA CRUZ — The woman accused of stabbing her husband to death inside their residence in the Aptos hills in August is now allowed to see her children for supervised visits. That was the agreement reached Friday by prosecutors and defense attorneys in the case...

WATSONVILLE — Watsonville police on Oct. 18 arrested a man suspected of stealing a wheelchair ramp used by a young girl to enter and exit her home. The Santa Cruz County Auto Theft Reductions and Enforcement Task Force (S.C.A.R.E.) arrested Pedro Villanueva, 27. He has been...

Special events Empower Watsonville Conference (Oct. 19) Empower Watsonville is a conference organized by high school students, for high school students. The conference is sponsored by Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance (PVPSA). Based on an open workshop format, the event will start with a formal...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday will make a decision on the Downtown Complete Streets Plan, a project that proposes sweeping changes to the corridor’s structure. According to the report from city staff, the plan presented at Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. meeting will include:  Pedestrian improvements •...