News

WATSONVILLE—After years of cooking lessons conducted from push-carts wheeled into its classrooms, Starlight Elementary School on Wednesday unveiled a professional, state-of-the-art teaching kitchen created to imbue a knowledge of—and possibly a passion for—the culinary arts.  The facility is located adjacent to a garden, designed to...

WATSONVILLE—Felipe Hernandez and Ari Parker have established large leads on their respective competitors and will likely capture key political seats in South County, updated results released Wednesday by the Santa Cruz County Elections Department show. Hernandez, a former Watsonville mayor and current member of the...

WATSONVILLE—Officers from six law agencies met at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Tuesday through Thursday for training in how to respond to civil disobedience. California Highway Patrol officer Dave Reed said the Mobile Field Force Disobedience course focuses on policy protocol for law enforcement officials...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—El Sistema Santa Cruz/Pajaro Valley, a nonprofit aiming to bring music education and performance to students, has been selected as a finalist for a prestigious national award. The Lewis Prize for Music announced 10 finalists for its fourth annual Accelerator Awards last week....

WATSONVILLE—Work is underway at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in preparation for the annual Holiday Lights drive-thru light show. Born out of the 2020 Covid lockdowns as a way for the community to celebrate the season safely, the event invites families to drive though colorful...

APTOS—Cabrillo College’s governing board voted Monday to change the institution’s name after a two-hour discussion that included comments from dozens of community members. The trustees voted 6-1 in favor of renaming the college, with trustee Rachel Spencer dissenting.  The decision followed the Nov. 10 release of...

APTOS—Second Harvest Food Bank well surpassed its goal of 4.5 million meals during its 2021 holiday drive. But when it came time to organize the 2022 effort, organizers floated the idea of lowering the goal, given the rising costs of groceries due to inflation,...

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Jennifer Schacher, who has held the Trustee Area 5 seat since she was elected in 2018, has closed the gap between herself and opponent Olivia Flores since early returns began to come in Tuesday night. Flores is ahead by...

WATSONVILLE—Felipe Hernandez has increased his lead on Jimmy Dutra in the race for the 4th District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, according to updated results released by the County Elections Department on Friday evening. Hernandez, the former mayor of Watsonville, now...

WATSONVILLE—With police vehicles leading the way—their emergency lights flashing bright in the late-morning sun—a squad of Boy Scouts, U.S. Naval Sea Cadets and military veterans marched down East Lake Avenue Friday to kick off Watsonville’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. The parade ended at the Henry...