News

Watsonville Wetlands Watch was recently awarded a $3.275 million federal grant to boost its tree planting and education programs. Its project, called Growing Tree Canopy, Climate Resilience and Green Jobs Pathways in the Pajaro Valley (PV Trees), will build upon its established urban forestry program...

An 18-year-old man was arrested late Tuesday after Watsonville Police caught him street racing. Michelle Pulido, spokeswoman for WPD, said a night shift officer was patrolling on the 500 block on Main Street when he spotted two cars racing. He was able to catch up...

This weekend, 127 artists will open their studios, including 28 participating for the first time. The public is invited to explore the free self-guided Open Studios Art Tour by visiting artists from the Pajaro Valley to Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor between 11am and 5pm...

At 11:20am today, anyone with a cell phone can expect an emergency alert from the federal government.  The alert is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission. The national test will consist...

Crop production in Santa Cruz County last year showed a modest uptick from the previous year, with a 1.5% growth totaling more than $666.9 million.  As usual, berries in 2022 remained the primary driving force in the county’s agricultural output at 60% of the total...

Watsonville Police Department formally welcomed five new officers at a promotional badge pinning and awards ceremony Wednesday. Close to 150 people packed the City Council Chambers for the two-hour event that drew top brass from Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties, the Santa Cruz...

Starr Linden and Andy Griffin stand on a gentle slope overlooking part of their sprawling Watsonville farm, each of them taking turns describing the process of creating the property’s centerpiece—a hand-built labyrinth of 3,000 fragrant lavender plants. “This was a Covid project,” Griffin said proudly. Using...

When the Pajaro River Levee broke during heavy winter rains in March, floodwaters rushed into the town of Pajaro, displacing hundreds of residents and businesses. It also inundated Pajaro Middle School, forcing the school to close while work crews and district officials assessed the damage...

Monterey County officials hosted a town hall meeting Sept. 20 to allow residents to get information and share concerns about three fires at the Moss Landing Lithium Ion Battery Energy Storage System. The two-hour meeting in Castroville included Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church, Senator John...

A local woman who leads Granite Construction’s sustainability program traveled to New York on Sept. 17, where she was recognized by the United Nations’ Global Compact Network USA, a program that encourages companies to follow human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption principles. Sustainability Manager Raven...