News

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday agreed to renew the contract for Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez for another four years. Trustees Oscar Soto, Maria Orozco, Jennifer Schacher, Jennifer Holm and Kim De Serpa voted in favor of the approval. Trustees Georgia...

A Watsonville man died and five other people were injured Saturday night in a multi-vehicle crash just north of Hollister, according to the California Highway Patrol.  About 7pm, a 27-year-old man from Tres Pinos, driving a Mazda 3 sedan, attempted a U-turn from the northbound...

WATSONVILLE—The first phase of the Watsonville Slough Connector Trail Project at Ramsay Park kicked off Monday, with construction expected to run through the end of November. Granite Construction has teamed up with the city to complete the project, which will establish and enhance trails through...

PRUNEDALE—A man died following a two-vehicle crash on Highway 101 at Prunedale South Road early on July 16. Cmdr. Derrel Simpson of the Monterey County Sheriff/Coroner’s Office identified Daniel Lewis Castaneda, 29, of San Jose as the victim. Simpson added that Castaneda was a correctional...

WATSONVILLE—Organizers for the Santa Cruz County Fair say they are preparing for a complete in-person return of the annual event in September. Carnival rides, livestock shows, floriculture, arts and crafts, the Agricultural History Project, food booths, the pumpkin contest and the apple pie contest—they’re all...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at a special meeting Friday evening passed a resolution expressing support for the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s (RTC) business plan for construction and operation of a passenger rail line along the 32-mile stretch from Davenport to Pajaro. The resolution...

Labor and labor-related issues continue to get center stage attention from the Reel Work May Day Film Festival as it moves into its 20th year. Thanks to a body of volunteers, the festival, already out of the gates in its 2021 season, is still...

WATSONVILLE—A locally brewed project of painting mile markers along the Pajaro River and Salsipuedes Creek levee system came to fruition Wednesday. Buoyed by a large pack of community members, Watsonville City Councilmember Ari Parker, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Greg Caput, city and county workers and...

APTOS—Cabrillo College students will return to in-person instruction when classes resume in the fall, spokeswoman Kristin Fabos announced Tuesday. According to Fabos, more than 50% of course offerings feature face-to-face or hybrid instruction during the fall term, which begins Aug. 16. The college will continue...

APTOS—Cynthia Jimenez-Gutierrez says she found inspiration to become a financial planner by helping her immigrant parents with their fiscal issues. After her education, she hopes to make a life in her community helping other immigrant families. “I like to work with money,” she said. “I thought,...