News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Hearing calls from fellow commissioners to take a “timeout” so that deep divisions between Santa Cruz County residents about the proposed 32-mile coastal rail trail can subside, a push during Thursday’s five-hour meeting to reconsider the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s...

When the news broke in March that civil rights leader Cesar Chavez allegedly sexually assaulted multiple women and girls, it sparked a nationwide reckoning as school, city and county officials grappled with streets, buildings, holidays, awards and other institutions that bore his name. Civil rights...

WATSONVILLE—The First Baptist Church on Madison Street has a new parking lot, complete with state-of-the-art, dimmable lights. The project came thanks to efforts of church members. Pastor Jeff Eitzen said the new lot, with 49 spaces, two of which are handicap spots, was built on...

On the morning of June 28, 1969, a group of police officers raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, New York City. As police dragged patrons and staff out of the bar, residents responded—leading to a week of protests and violent...

CLOSE CALL Firefighters douse hot spots in a brush fire that erupted on the 300 block of Amesti Road Friday. An official from CalFire said the 3:20pm brush fire climbed to two acres before firefighters from Pajaro Valley Fire District, Watsonville and Central Fire...

WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man was arrested late Tuesday night after he was caught burglarizing a business on Airport Boulevard. Gabriel Soto-Gonzalez, 41, was charged with burglary, vehicle theft and providing false ID to police. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $25,000...

The annual Santa Cruz Pride parade made its way through downtown Santa Cruz on June 4.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The seventh annual Santa Cruz Gives holiday crowdfunding campaign raised more than $1 million for local nonprofit organizations in 2021. The milestone was reached after the campaign doubled in size, featuring 80 nonprofits on its online platform. Individual donors, matching funds, challenge gifts...

WATSONVILLE—After working a long shift picking strawberries and greens, dozens of farmworkers and their families received the royal treatment thanks to a new program from El Pájaro Community Development Corporation. Called the Farmworker’s Family Dinner, the initiative treated 38 families—roughly 230 people—to meals from El...

The Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust provided diabetes prevention education and blood glucose screenings to residents attending the Watsonville Certified Farmer's Market downtown on May 25.