56.4 F
Watsonville
July 9, 2025

Forecast calls for clearing skies on weekend, rain late next week

The Central Coast will get a temporary reprieve from the rain that has soaked the region for the past week, but it will return. Meteorologist Brian Garcia at the National Weather Service of Monterey said chilly morning temperatures will continue into Friday morning but skies...

Vehicle crashes kill 3 in 2 days

Two separate vehicle crashes claimed the lives three people over the course of two days. In the first, a 16-year-old male died on Feb. 2 in a head-on crash on Maher Road in Royal Oaks.  California Highway Patrol officer Jessica Madueño said the victim was a...

Meet the Green Party candidate challenging Panetta

Editor’s note: a story on 19th Congressional incumbent Jimmy Panneta will follow this one. Republican challenger Jason Michael Anderson did not respond to a request for an interview. ••• District Sean Doughery realized his government needed a reboot when he went to Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s office...

Quick-thinking pharmacist thwarts armed robbery

Sometimes, armed robbery does not pay off. A pharmacist was working at the CVS store on Rodriguez Street at about 11:40am on Feb. 4 when a man wearing a ski mask demanded Oxycontin. But instead of giving the man what he wanted, the pharmacist told...

A blaze of glory: longtime fire reservist dies

John R. Walker Jr., a major fixture in Watsonville’s landscape of firefighting, parades and labor task force, died Jan. 27 of pancreatic cancer. He was 84. Walker  served as a Watsonville Reserve Firefighter for three decades, and left that post as Reserve Lt. Co. No....

One dead, houses damaged in windstorm

A man was killed in Boulder Creek after a tree crashed into his home, as winds pounded Santa Cruz County after several heavy rainstorms on Sunday. Santa Cruz County Sheriff's spokeswoman Ashley Keehn identified the man as as 45-year-old Robert Brainard III. Deputies and firefighters responded...

PHOTO: Watsonville Police Seek Armed Robbery Suspect

ARMED ROBBERY: Watsonville Police search a shopping center on the 1800 block of Freedom Blvd. Sunday after a man reportedly robbed the pharmacy at the Walgreens store. Police got an emergency call from the store around 12:15pm about a man wearing a ski...

Rain, Winds Pound County, Topple Trees

Rain and wind swept across Santa Cruz County on Sunday, with storm damage reported in several places. Paige Gordon stood near her Live Oak home, hours after a towering eucalyptus tree—felled by heavy winds— smashed through the top floor and rendered the entire structure uninhabitable. High...

New art exhibit highlights students

Art students at Watsonville High School have pooled their talents into a new exhibit at the Pajaro Valley Arts Porter Building. “Wildcatz Art Show,” with the theme of “Who Are the Students of Watsonville High,” showcases more than 100 artworks, including painting, drawing, photography, print-making...

Bus driver shortages challenging districts nationwide

During its Jan. 24 meeting, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved a financial reward for anyone who recommends qualified bus drivers. The $1,000 incentive was the district’s attempt to fill its dwindling ranks of drivers to take students to and...
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Community invited to National Night Out

The public is invited to National Night Out, a series of gatherings held in communities throughout Santa Cruz County on Aug. 5 from 3-7pm. National...