News

The man who kidnapped, raped and murdered an 8-year-old girl before placing her body in a recycling bin in 2015 will spend at least another two years in prison. After less than a week of deliberations, a jury denied Adrian “A.J.” Gonzlaez’s bid for parole...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel has issued a new order closing parks and beaches in Santa Cruz County beginning 11:59 p.m. on April 8, through 11:59 p.m. on April 15, a period that includes Easter weekend and much of...

Three earthquakes hit the Central Coast and inland areas early Tuesday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). A 3.5 magnitude quake struck at 9:34 a.m., centered 14 miles south of Tres Pinos in San Benito County. The strongest shaker, magnitude 3.8, came at...

WATSONVILLE—Situated on the outskirts of Watsonville, just down the road from Pajaro Valley High School, sits Esperanza Community Farms. Established in 2017, the farm provides affordable organic produce to about 100 local families through a biweekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, while aiming to promote...

Freedom Rotary celebrated the Mike Kutsuris Award it recently received in recognition of the club that has been most successful in membership development during the Rotary year. They are in District 5170, a collection of 61 community clubs. The clubs are located in the...

APTOS—Students at Aptos Junior High School walked into their newly renovated multipurpose room on Feb. 22, and couldn’t help but jump around on the new, shiny hardwood floors of the space that incorporates a gymnasium and auditorium. “They were just super pumped,” said Aptos Junior...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The County of Santa Cruz has announced the availability of Covid-19 relief funds for local small businesses and nonprofits responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. Available through the Santa Cruz County Cares Recovery Program, applications are now being accepted through Sept. 15 for...

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Tuesday issued a health advisory urging everyone to refrain from vaping, no matter the substance or source, until current investigations are complete. The advisory followed an executive order signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept....

A Bombardier Global Express 600 corporate jet sits on the tarmac at Watsonville Municipal Airport on May 21. Airplane aficionados said it is the largest aircraft to land at the airport since 2007 when a C-17 military transport jet touched down during an air...

Dozens of people gathered Friday to celebrate the opening of a 53-unit housing complex, the latest in Watsonville’s drive to provide housing for all income levels. The complex at 1482 Freedom Blvd., called Tabasa Gardens, was built by Hayward-based Eden Housing. A unique feature of the...