County budget hearings set
The County of Santa Cruz will begin hearings on a proposed $777 million budget on Monday, concluding on June 26.
Sheriff’s Office asking for help in solving 1995 Watsonville murder
WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is reaching out to the community for help in solving a 1995 homicide in Watsonville.
Investigators say that Gloria Hassemer’s body was found along the Pajaro River Levee near the Highway 1 overcrossing on June 10, 1995. Hassemer, 41,...
Arbor and patio enhances casa
Workers from Prime Landscaping of Santa Cruz install flagstones for a new patio at the front of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) facility on Freedom Boulevard Thursday.
A giant falls: Fire destroys Aptos radio tower
APTOS—A blaze that Aptos/La Selva Fire said was likely started by a homeless person seeking warmth has felled one of the towers that once reached into the sky alongside Highway 1 in Aptos.
The tower was part of a quintet of now-silent radio antennae that...
Lawmakers, officials pushing for faster Pajaro levee repairs
PAJARO—A little more than a month after the Pajaro Levee broke and released waves of roiling river water that laid waste to homes, businesses and crops in Pajaro, a group of local, state and federal lawmakers gathered near the river in Monterey County on...
Traffic safety plan around Lakeview Middle School moves forward
WATSONVILLE—A plan to improve traffic and pedestrian safety at a notoriously busy intersection on the outskirts of Watsonville took a step forward Wednesday.
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to allow the California Department of Transportation to use a small...
PVUSD schools transition to distance learning
WATSONVILLE—Days after the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to close all district schools for two weeks, allowing most employees and students to work from home, Gov. Gavin Newsom had a troubling message for educators, parents and students: expect more.
“I would...
2025 Farmer of the Year announced
Larry Jacobs and Sandra Belin, co-owners of Jacobs Farm del Cabo, have been named 2025 Farmer of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau.
The award is presented annually to farmer(s) who have contributed “beyond their normal farming duties to help the community.”...
Monterey Bay organizations join forces for virtual Pride event
MONTEREY BAY—Connected in Pride 2.0, a free virtual Pride celebration hosted by Monterey and Santa Cruz counties’ leading LGBTQ+ organizations, will take place on July 24th via various virtual platforms.
Participating groups include Pajaro Valley Pride, Monterey Peninsula Pride, Salinas Valley Pride and Santa Cruz...
The circus comes to town
The Circus has come to town, this time at Ramsay Park on Main Street in Watsonville.
Circus Royal Spectacular—out of Las Vegas—rolled into town Tuesday, and crews quickly began driving giant tent stakes into the softball diamond to set up their mammoth bigtop tent.
Circus spokesperson...
Body discovered during search for 73-year-old hiker
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office announced the discovery of a body in a densely-wooded area off of Ice Cream Grade on the north...






















