News

Since a series of storms ravaged Santa Cruz County earlier this year, county officials have been preparing for another potential winter of heavy rains. This includes clearing debris from creeks and rivers and repairing three damaged portions of the Pajaro River Levee system. All of this...

WATSONVILLE—On Saturday the Watsonville Buddhist Temple will host a special benefit concert featuring Otonowa, a jazz-fusion ensemble led by world-renowned percussionist Akira Tana. In 2012 Otonowa, which translates to “sound circle,” began playing shows to raise money for survivors of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami...

Fifty-seven artists have been canvassing the Pajaro Valley recently, building an opus of paintings as part of the Plein Air: Our Bounty exhibit that will open at Pajaro Valley Arts Aug. 14.

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Parks and Recreation Commission at its Monday virtual meeting is expected to make a recommendation to the City Council on the future of the George Washington bust in the City Plaza. City staff, according to the prepared staff report, is recommending the bust...

Santa Cruz Police on Friday announced the arrest of a man suspected in torching Neighbor’s Pub in downtown Santa Cruz on Dec. 10. James Eason, 45—who is currently in custody at the County Jail for an unrelated crime—is being held without bail. He will be re-booked...

PRUNEDALE—A 35-year-old Watsonville man was injured in a butane honey oil lab explosion in Prunedale Monday. Francisco Ponce was in the area when Monterey County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the 16000 block of Meridian Road around 3pm to investigate a report of an explosion. Ponce...

APTOS—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies issued misdemeanor citations at five mid-county businesses after employees allegedly sold alcohol or tobacco to minor decoys, Sheriff’s Lt. Greg Lansdowne said.  The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol and Tobacco Compliance Unit conducted the Nov. 7 decoy operation at...

Field workers help pick up a load of strawberries that toppled from a shipping truck on Riverside Drive at Locust Street Monday. The spill backed up eastbound traffic from 1:45pm until 2:15pm.

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A firefighter from Cal Fire chases down flames in a wild land fire that ignited on sloping terrain off of Harkins Slough Road behind Pajaro Valley High School Wednesday. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Sam Filson said the 2pm blaze burned about a half acre...