Levee rebuild gets final approval
WATSONVILLE—After decades of efforts by local, state and federal officials, plans to rebuild the Pajaro River Levee can now move forward after voters in Watsonville approved an assessment on their annual property tax bills that will pay for the maintenance and operations costs.
The Pajaro...
Cafe owners remain positive through shelter-in-place
WATSONVILLE—Cafe Ella owners Erika Conrad and Jennifer DeVault say they are hopeful that their business will persevere through the COVID-19 crisis.
The twin sisters, who took over the small cafe on East Lake Avenue from Ella’s at the Airport owner Ella King last year, said...
Vaccinated people can now ride mask-free on METRO
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) lifted its mandatory face mask mandate for vaccinated staff and riders effective Tuesday.
The move came a day after the Transportation Security Administration advised public transport operators that they no longer need to enforce the federal...
City exceeds climate goals
Only two months into 2019, Watsonville has exceeded its carbon emission reduction goal, Assistant Public Works Director Michelle Templeton told the council Tuesday.
Local students, future explorers
One year after taking top honors in an engineering competition designed to train aspiring space explorers, the Cabrillo College Robotics Club is returning to the arena.
Community briefs, Feb. 3: PVUSD announces results of reading challenge
Community briefs, Feb. 3, 2018
Photo story: County celebrates the Fourth
Thousands of people lined the main streets of Watsonville and Aptos Thursday to watch the parades that have become a tradition stretching back decades.
The Spirit of Watsonville parade kicked off at 12:30pm, two hours after the Worlds Shortest Parade, which takes place in Aptos...
Cabrillo trustees vote to delay name change
The Cabrillo College Board of Trustees voted Monday to defer renaming the college until 2028.
The 6-1 decision, with Trustee Steve Trujillo dissenting, ends a three-year process to replace the name Cabrillo with one unassociated with colonization.
The Name Exploration Subcommittee that wrote the recommendation—whose members...
Illegal fireworks keep local law enforcement busy on Fourth
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Watsonville firefighters had a “very busy Fourth of July” as they responded to a total of 24 calls in the 24-hour period surrounding the holiday, including medical calls and fires to vegetation, dumpsters and structures. Units were also out patrolling for illegal...
City asking Council to dump local eviction moratorium, defer to state leaders
WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville on Tuesday will ask the City Council to allow its moratorium on evictions to expire at the end of the month, and instead defer to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide executive order and protections put in place by California’s Judicial Council.
The...
Santa Cruz County Fair: The animals arrive
As workers and volunteers put the finishing touches on the Santa Cruz County Fair, the animals raised by Future Farmers of America and other...