News

It has been 15 years since Caroline’s Thrift opened, and since that time owner Christine Licker has donated tens of thousands of dollars to local nonprofits. On Feb. 9, Licker held her annual gifting ceremony, during which she handed out checks to 37 organizations totaling...

A man living in a homeless encampment in the Arana Gulch area was arrested Tuesday after he was found with illegal drugs, cash, police scanners and a passel of high-end stolen bikes totaling more than $30,000. Joshua Morris, 35, was charged with grant theft, possession...

A grassroots movement of citizens concerned about the construction of a new battery storage facility in Watsonville held a public meeting on Monday evening to discuss the dangers of such a project and rally local residents by passing around petitions and encouraging citizens to...

The Artichoke Festival has been a mainstay for summer entertainment on the Central Coast for more than six decades, a time for locals to nosh on delicacies and celebrate the crop that helped put the region on the map. “With deep gratitude and heavy hearts,...

The Santa Cruz County Supervisors on Tuesday signaled their support for three human-services programs at risk of being cut when the board meets June 10 to hammer out this year’s budget. Under the current budget proposal, Mental Health Client Action Network (MHCAN) loses its $587,000...

More than 20 restaurants in Santa Cruz County will celebrate the art of pizza making during Santa Cruz Pizza Week, which kicks off Jan. 29.  Local restaurants from around the county are on board for the coordinated promotion, which features special pies, slices and prices. The...

Ashley Bridges (second from left), executive director of Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, leads a tour of the renovated kitchen at Loaves and Fishes on Second Street Wednesday. Thanks to support Driscoll’s Charitable Fund and the Solari family, the job included replacing water-damaged wood...

On Tuesday, 7-year-old Vincent Robles was playing in Callaghan Park in downtown Watsonville, clambering over the play structures and going up and down the slide. But what he really wanted, his mother Jessica said, was to go back to Ramsay Park, with its big slide.  “He...

A tiny home development for 34 homeless people slated for the parking lot of Westview Presbyterian Church in Watsonville can move forward after the City Council on Tuesday denied an appeal by a neighbors’ group that has been battling the placement of the project...