Royal Oaks woman dies in rollover crash
PAJARO—A 30-year-old Royal Oaks woman died in a two-vehicle crash in Pajaro Wednesday.
California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Jessica Madueño said the woman, who has not been named, was traveling eastbound on San Juan Road at 12:47 p.m. while passing unsafely through a two-way turn section...
CDC eases outdoors mask-wearing guidelines for the vaccinated
Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus no longer need to wear masks outdoors if they’re walking, running, hiking or biking, either alone or with members of their household, and in small outdoor gatherings, federal health officials announced on Tuesday.
The risk of the...
County refines transition plan for new public defender office
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to transition cases from the current public defender’s office to the newly minted Office of the Public Defender, which is slated to officially launch on July 1.
The new office...
Covid-19, fires taxing service providers
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The CZU August Lightning Complex fires have so far destroyed more than 500 homes and forced 77,000 people to evacuate from their community. Those people have flooded evacuation centers throughout the county.
That, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic that has upended the economy...
Mobile home park prevails: Residents won’t see rent increase, for now
WATSONVILLE—A Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge on Oct. 14 sided with the residents of a mobile home park who had been battling a giant rent increase since 2017.
Attorneys for the residents say the decision supports a County ordinance governing rent increases, and has...
Cesar E. Chavez Community Awards honor youth mentors
WATSONVILLE—Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services and the City of Watsonville honored five local individuals, two organizations and a business at the 18th annual Cesar E. Chavez Community Awards on July 30.
The awards, held virtually this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic,...
Faith leaders call on state to support undocumented immigrants
CALIFORNIA—Bishop Jaime Soto of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, along with 1,000 other faith and community leaders from the California Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), on Tuesday will convene with state legislators on Zoom to call for more support for undocumented immigrants during the...
144-unit Hillcrest Estate breaks ground
WATSONVILLE—Major groundwork has begun on the 144-home Hillcrest Estate subdivision situated on an 11.27-acre hilltop between Ohlone Parkway and Walker Street above Watsonville Slough.
“It’s a great boon that we are going to get an additional 144 units for Watsonville residents,” said Watsonville Community Development...
Celebration of labor
Hundreds gathered in Romo Park in Watsonville Monday for the annual Monterey Bay Central Labor Council (MBCLC) Labor Day Picnic, an event that draws workers and politicians from across the county.
Teen arrested after chase
A routine traffic stop turned into a chase late Tuesday night that ended with the arrest of a 17-year-old suspected gang member and the...





















