News

WATSONVILLE—McDonald’s restaurant, one of the business pillars of the Freedom Boulevard corridor in Watsonville since 1974, was torn into by a demolition crew Monday. Armed with a massive excavator, the team from A&S Metals grabbed hunks of the building starting at 8:15am inside a chain-link...

SANTA CRUZ—A man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a large number of illegal drugs for sale Monday on the West Side of Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Enforcement Team found Michael Rodgers in his car near Shaefer Road at Delaware...

As costs for pet care continue to rise, the BirchBark Foundation is celebrating its sixth year, aiming to support owners who have pets with a life-threatening, catastrophic medical crisis and can’t afford the emergency medical care required.

These young women wear traditional garb from Oaxaca, Mexico as they prepare to dance at the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Watsonville Plaza Friday. Co-presented by the Farmers’ Market, Poesía en la Plaza and Ballet Folklorico Ollin, the event featured music, poets, dancers and...

Work continues on the major rebuild of the Watsonville High cafeteria and multipurpose room. • I saw on the morning news that one of five people has Covid-19 in Florida. Officials in that state were among the first to rush into reopening, claiming the lockdown was...

The 112-room business, being built by Elite Development Inc. between Beach Road and Riverside Drive, has now reached the insulation, electrical and plumbing phase, said co-owner Juggy Tut. Barring any unexpected hurdles, Tut said he hopes to see the place up and running by the end of the year or in early January. Roof work is slated to be completed in December.

APTOS—Plans were announced Thursday of a major renovation of Willowbrook County Park to honor the late Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was gunned down in the line of duty in 2020. The project of “reimagining” the park was announced in a brief...

Children gasped and called out excitedly as the Santa Cruz Symphony played the first notes of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 at the Henry J. Mello Center on Tuesday morning.

"Try This" is a weekly column that celebrates local businesses — especially eateries, watering holes, coffee shops and the like. • FOOD: Slice Project's White Bugatti It seems like each time I’ve visited the Slice Project, 300 Main St., their pizza has improved. I’ve been a big...

The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds are more than the annual one-week autumnal event, which itself undoubtedly takes a Herculean amount of work. There are also numerous events throughout the year including horse shows, conventions and celebrations such as quinceañeras and the Evening of Wine...