Home | The Pajaronian | Watsonville, CA

Watsonville High School senior Acuzena Sandoval had her pick of colleges — from several UC campuses to the Ivy League. She chose Stanford. The decision capped...

Wedding dresses over the years

Local News

One hundred years of wedding dresses from local women, spanning each decade between 1890 to 1990, are now on display at the Pajaro Valley...

New Leaf Energy may seek state approval for Minto Road BESS facility

Local News

New Leaf Energy, the company proposing a battery energy storage system (BESS) facility for Minto Road in Watsonville, has submitted a pre-application to the...

4.6 magnitude earthquake rattles Central Coast

Local News

A 4.6-magnitude earthquake centered in Boulder Creek rattled the Central Coast at 1:41am Thursday morning, with tremors felt as far north as Santa Rosa,...

Group seeking buffer zone for pesticides around schools

Local News

Adam Scow stood on the edge of a strawberry farm behind Pajaro Middle School Monday morning as he held a map showing similar fields...

CRIME, FIRE & COURTS

Castroville man dies in head-on crash in Moss Landing

April 4, 2026

A Castroville man died early Saturday morning in a hit-and-run crash in Moss Landing. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said emergency officials responded to a...

Man found with illegal gun

April 1, 2026

A Watsonville man was arrested for possession an illegal gun early Sunday morning following a traffic stop by the California Highway Patrol. CHP officer Israel...

Photo story: One injured in head-on crash

April 1, 2026

Emergency officials deal with a two-vehicle crash Wednesday on the 2500 block of Freedom Boulevard. The California Highway Patrol said the male driver of...

Deputies: Man drove stolen car to face charges for stealing a...

March 24, 2026

A man was arrested Tuesday for driving a stolen car to the Monterey County Superior Courthouse in Salinas, where he was scheduled to appear...

OPINION

Response to Chávez scandal was knee-jerk reaction, points to wider plot This whole César Chávez deal is curious to say the least. A few weeks before this year’s holiday comes a New York Times story that Chávez, a half century ago, sexually abused several women members of his United Farmworkers...