News

WATSONVILLE—When Covid-19 shelter-in-place restrictions hit Santa Cruz County in March, the Eighth Annual Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) was one of the first large events to be shut down. Executive Director Consuelo Alba and her team were forced to cancel the multiple film screenings, activities and...

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy who shot 15-year-old Lucas Smith after a standoff with police will not face criminal charges, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell said Friday.

A crew from Vacant Property Security installs one of several traffic blocks in the parking lot of the former Kmart on Freedom Boulevard. On Oct. 12, the Watsonville City Council started the process of declaring the abandoned property a public nuisance due to illegal...

Marie Massey has been drawing and painting since she could hold a pencil—as young as 4 years old in her grandmother’s garden. Since then she has been drawn to nature, wildlife and humanity in her artwork and has been painting professionally for 19 years.  Her...

WATSONVILLE—Roughly 60 people—many of them on bikes—gathered on the southwest outskirts of Watsonville on July 17 to celebrate the completion of the first phase of the city’s segment of the Coastal Rail Trail. The ribbon-cutting for the 12-foot wide, quarter-mile-long strip of asphalt between Walker...

Hospice announces $50,000 grant Hospice of Santa Cruz County has received a $50,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefits Programs. The grant will help people living with serious illness get access to the resources they need. The funds will be used by Hospice of Santa...

I’m seeing more and more places setting up makeshift outdoor eating spots to accommodate customers during the Covid-19 crisis where officials are not allowing indoor dining. Today a worker was busy putting up a tarp roof over a new outdoor seating area at Taqueria...

WATSONVILLE—Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for Watsonville neighborhoods with a high risk of flooding during this Wednesday’s storm, which is said to hit the region early tomorrow morning.  City officials urge residents who live within this map's blue-shaded area to evacuate tonight. Choosing not...

WATSONVILLE—Opening a new business during a global pandemic might at first seem like a risky move. But for Christian Diaz, it was also an opportunity. With most fitness centers throughout the state remaining closed to stop the spread of Covid-19, people have been looking for...