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Watsonville
March 7, 2026

Supreme Court bans employment discrimination based on sexuality, gender identity

supreme court LGBTQ
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United States Supreme Court made a historic ruling Monday, determining employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited under federal law. The decision is the most significant victory for LGBTQ rights in the U.S. since the legalization of...

Program helps locals buy homes

The HOME - First Time Home Buyer Program helps locals buy their first home by distributing loan down payments of up to $150,000 and grants to qualifying residents of Santa Cruz County.

PHOTO: Flames consume garage

A fire destroyed an outbuilding on the 200 block of Ford Street Tuesday afternoon.

One for the books

A Watsonville teen has far surpassed her goal of collecting books for young people, and on Friday gave the books away.

Woman who drove into deputy sentenced to 16 years

Jessica May Lowe
SANTA CRUZ—A woman who stole a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office cruiser and then struck a deputy in an attempt to escape arrest three years ago was sentenced Friday to 16 years in state prison. Jessica May Lowe, 30, has been held without bail in...

Wood-fired pizza restaurant opens doors in Watsonville

WATSONVILLE—A new wood-fired pizza restaurant recently opened in the East Lake Village Shopping Center. Sandwiched between the Villager bar and Carmona’s BBQ and Catering, Uncie Ro’s is the latest addition to the busy center. “We’re just happy to be able to open our doors to...

Main Street business park awaits final council decision

WATSONVILLE—Drive-thrus will be back on the Watsonville City Council’s menu at Tuesday’s meeting. The council will hear an appeal of a Planning Commission decision from late last year that stopped the development of a proposed business park at Main Street and Auto Center Drive. Boos Development...

Two Watsonville men arrested in connection to double homicide

sirens
WATSONVILLE—Two Watsonville men were arrested early Tuesday morning on suspicion of fatally shooting a man and a woman in Gonzales on Oct. 23. David Ireta-Reyes, 24, and William Garcia-Fuentes, 25, were arrested on $2 million warrants, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said. On Oct. 23 gunfire...

Watsonville homicide victim was striving to ‘clean up’ life, mother says

adrian ayala sudden brennan street homicide altar memorial
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville man who was shot and killed Sunday afternoon in downtown was working to turn his life around, his mother said. On Wednesday, at a large makeshift altar at the site of where her son died, Roxanne Ortiz said Adrian Ayala, 19, was one...

Pajaro River Levee project at risk after Trump claws back some funding

pajaro river levee alex padilla jimmy panetta
President Donald Trump has taken millions of dollars already allocated to blue states—and reallocated the funding to red states—impacting a wide array of ongoing critical infrastructure projects, including the Pajaro River Flood Management Project. In a press conference Thursday,  U.S. Democratic Senators Alex Padilla and...
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RTC looks to federal, state government to fill rail funding gap

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) will seek funding from the state and federal government to support construction planning for a passenger...