News

After working behind the badge of Watsonville Police for nearly three decades, officer Lee Katich waved goodbye Tuesday. “It’s been quite a good ride,” Katich said during a festive farewell party Tuesday evening that included Katich’s wife and two children and a roomful of officers...

Watsonville Police on Tuesday arrested a murder suspect after an hours-long standoff in a strawberry field near Trafton and McGowan roads, just outside Pájaro. Hector Rocha, 44, of Watsonville, has been charged with first-degree murder. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail, where he...

Santa Cruz County is presenting a Master Plan for Aging (MPA) survey residents can take that will help county leaders craft a plan to meet the needs of its rapidly growing senior population. When it is complete, the county’s MPA—called “Age Well Santa Cruz County”—will...

Special events Goat Hill Fall Vintage Fair (Nov. 9-10) A much anticipated two-day event at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds for enthusiasts of vintage and antique collecting. Find looks, styles and unique pieces to complement your collections and decorate your homes. An indoor event. Food and drink...

APTOS—In the not-too-distant future, Cabrillo College could bear a different name.  Before that happens, however, a subcommittee of three of the college’s governing board will explore the issue in-depth, for a process that is likely to last far into the future and involve numerous people...

Students were given a special treat during their first week of summer school when The Physics Bus made a stop at Calabasas Elementary School.

Do you have a photo you'd like to share with the community? Email it to @pajaronian.com or send by mail to 21 Brennan St., Ste. 14, Watsonville, CA, 95076 for consideration. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the name...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz METRO has increased its passenger capacity by 50% in an effort to accommodate more riders, but that decision has raised concerns within the union representing the bus operators still working during the Covid-19 pandemic. METRO CEO Alex Clifford announced on June...

A man was seriously injured and a woman and two children suffered minor to moderate injuries in a two-vehicle crash Sunday on Riverside Drive. Watsonville Police Officer Javier Ayala said the man was driving a Honda Civic south on Walker Street with a woman and...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A group of Santa Cruz residents filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Sacramento County Superior Court to stop the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County (HRC) from continuing its syringe services program. Launched in 2018, the nonprofit HRC—and “harm reduction” programs in general—operate...