News

Community briefs for the week of Sept. 20.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the 2023 Housing Element, a plan that will serve as a roadmap to meet projected housing needs in the unincorporated areas of the county through 2031. Required by jurisdictions throughout California every eight years,...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Fire Department will soon take on a new firefighter/paramedic after he completed the 16-week training academy at Watsonville Fire Station No. 2 on Airport Boulevard on Dec. 2. Adrian Chairez, of Santa Cruz, and three other trainees were officially presented with their badges at...

One man was killed on Highway 17 Thursday when a falling tree struck his vehicle, California Highway Patrol officer Sam Courtney said.

WATSONVILLE—Francisco Elcanto schleps a five-gallon bucket into the back seat of his car. A peek under the lid reveals an assortment of neatly packed cleaning supplies. Today, all he needs is some cleaning supplies, which he is borrowing from the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center.  The...

Santa Cruz Dance Week unfolds on three open air stages on Pacific Avenue and Cooper Street through April 28.

North Monterey County firefighters search for possible victims in a solo vehicle rollover crash Monday on Trafton Road in Watsonville. Lt. Carlos Gonzalez with North Monterey County Fire said no one was found inside the Honda Civic that ended up in a drainage ditch around...

Workers with Nor-Cal Scaffolding on Friday morning finish up their work for the first phase of "Watsonville Brillante," a 1,200-square-foot section of a larger mosaic on the six-story garage abutting Watsonville's Civic Plaza. When complete, the mosaic, spearheaded by local artist Kathleen Crocetti, will...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY —Strawberries remain the county’s biggest crop, with an estimated value of $220,653,000 on approximately 2,578 planted acres. That’s according to the 2018 crop report released Thursday by Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo. The report showed an overall production value of more...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday regarding the city’s search for a new chief executive. The meeting, scheduled for 5:30pm in the City Council Chambers, comes a few days after news broke that current city manager Matt Huffaker had been...