News

After working as a manager at Freedom Meat Lockers for nearly three decades, William Panis was ready to set off on his own. His new butcher shop—Willie’s Meat Market—is located at 20 Mariposa off Freedom Boulevard.  He offers a wide selection of meat, sausage and bacon,...

As voters prepare to fill in their ballots for the Nov. 5 election, they are not just casting their vote for President of the United States. They are also faced with a large array of candidates and local ballot initiatives that can seem daunting....

GILROY—This year’s Gilroy Garlic Festival has been canceled, festival organizers announced late Friday afternoon. The announcement came as governmental jurisdictions, businesses, educators and residents throughout California are severely restricting their activities in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In a brief email, organizers said the 40-year-old festival...

WATSONVILLE—Near the tail end of a largely uneventful first read-through of the proposed budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year on June 14, Watsonville City Council members gave themselves a nominal pay increase that sparked a discussion about how their compensation limits who runs for...

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) recently notified Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency that its Basin Management Plan (BMP) was approved and considered functionally equivalent to a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP).

CENTRAL COAST—Officials at Pacific Gas & Electric are warning the public of emerging phone and email scams where impostors demand immediate payment for a SmartMeter deposit to avoid disconnection of service. PG&E spokesperson Mayra Tostado said that in recent weeks, PG&E has received dozens of...

A man was seriously injured Tuesday afternoon after he was struck on his bicycle by a pickup truck on Rodriguez Street.

SALINAS—A Watsonville man who seriously injured a woman in a DUI crash nearly one year ago was sentenced Thursday to more than five years in state prison, Monterey County Deputy District Attorney Merideth Sillman said. Noel Ledesma, 39, is in custody in Monterey County Jail.  He...

SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered a statewide closure to indoor services in restaurants, theaters, wineries, museums, zoos, card rooms and family entertainment centers. Bars must cease all operations.  In addition, 30 counties on California’s county watchlist must also shutter their churches, gyms, malls, hair...

WATSONVILLE—Two weeks ago, a group of nurses from Watsonville Community Hospital held a roadside demonstration in an attempt to stop hospital officials from increasing nurse-to-patient ratios. They were expected to be back Wednesday, starting at 3:30pm, for a second similar demonstration on Airport Boulevard. Their...