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Watsonville
November 10, 2025

Federal court must reconsider pesticide use

The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday ordered a federal court to reconsider an earlier ruling that essentially banned a commonly used pesticide.

Multi-agency drug, gun bust

A Santa Clara County man was arrested Dec. 19 after a months-long narcotics trafficking investigation that spanned Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. Juan Basurto Jimenez, 54, was charged with possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance, illegal possession of...

Santa Cruz METRO announces new CEO

Santa Cruz Metro Michael Tree
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) on Friday announced it has named Michael Tree its new CEO/General Manager. Tree has nearly three decades of experience in the public transit industry and city management, most recently as Executive Director of the Livermore Amador Valley...

Watsonville Wetlands Watch receives $3.2M grant

Watsonville Wetlands Watch was recently awarded a $3.275 million federal grant to boost its tree planting and education programs. Its project, called Growing Tree Canopy, Climate Resilience and Green Jobs Pathways in the Pajaro Valley (PV Trees), will build upon its established urban forestry program...

Monterey County issues guidelines for farmworkers during COVID-19 outbreak

Farmworkers COVID-19 protections
MONTEREY COUNTY—The Monterey County Agriculture Commissioner’s Office, Supervisors Luis Alejo and Chris Lopez, along with Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, Monterey County Farm Bureau, Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association, Coastal Growers Association and California Strawberry Commission recently released a model Advisory for Agriculture...

PVUSD’s youngest students returning to class after spring break

PVUSD
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday paved the way for its youngest students to return to class after spring break. Under the plan, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students will continue distance learning from 8:45-11:45am every day.  First graders will continue distance...

Carlton Road closure set for Thursday

On Thursday, Carlton Road at Highway 129 will fully close through December.

What is and is not allowed in a shelter-in-place order

Watsonville coronavirus businesses
Jurisdictions throughout the U.S. have imposed shelter-in-place orders for their residents in an attempt to slow or stop the spread of coronavirus, casting into doubt nearly all day-to-day activities. So what is and is not allowed under the order? Grocery stores and other retail businesses that...

County gets first Filipino American judge

Jerry Vinluan
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The county’s first Filipino American judge was recently appointed as a Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge by Gov. Gavin Newsom. “My knees went weak when I got the call,” said Jerry Bustos Vinluan III. “I was overwhelmed. It was later in the...

Woman arrested for fatal DUI collision

SANTA CRUZ—A Santa Cruz woman was arrested Sunday night for allegedly fleeing after striking a man crossing Capitola Road in a motorized wheelchair. The victim, a 69-year-old Santa Cruz man, was taken to Natividad Medical Center, where he later died.  According to California Highway Patrol Officer...
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From our archives: Funds drive

Members of Native Daughters prepare for a holiday event on Oct. 26, 1959 in Watsonville. (Sam Vestal/Pajaronian file)

A call for peace