Home | The Pajaronian | Watsonville, CA

Amesti Elementary School fifth-grader Kevin Bonita on Thursday took home more than a free 18-pound turkey when he won the school’s annual Turkey Trot...

Supervisors delay decision on new battery storage facilities ordinance, add new regulations

Local News

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took the first step in crafting rules governing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), giving their...

Aptos girls’ squad advances to CIF State Championships | High school cross country

High School Sports

Last year around this time, Aptos senior Maya Schiro was preparing for her trip to the California Interscholastic Federation State Cross Country Championships as...

Community events

Local News

Mello Center Student Concerts ArtSmart Mello Center Shows are designed for elementary students to experience world-class artists in a theater setting. Tickets are $2 per seat. The...

An ocean view, pollution included

Local News

There was a lot of trash talk Sunday in Santa Cruz. Not gossip. Literal trash. In the ocean and deep into the food chain. Close to...

CRIME, FIRE & COURTS

Third man convicted in 2019 Atre murder

November 20, 2025

An 18-year-old man who participated in the 2019 kidnapping, robbery and murder of tech executive and cannabis entrepreneur Tushar Atre was convicted Wednesday for...

Man and daughter die at Garrapata State Beach

November 17, 2025

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a man and his 7-year old daughter died at Garrapata State Beach Nov. 14 after being swept...

Police looking for Utah woman missing from Rio Del Mar State...

November 11, 2025

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office is looking for Danielle Staley, 35, who was last seen on Nov. 6, around 11:23pm near Rio Del...

Watsonville man arrested in sexual assault

November 11, 2025

A 19-year-old Watsonville man has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting an underage girl. Christopher Medina Amezquita was arrested in Capitola with help from...

OPINION

Letters to the editor Nov. 21-27

November 20, 2025

Criticism for Medina PVUSD trustee Gabriel Medina never fails to amaze me. From challenging the right of a Christian woman from a Midwest Bible college to student teach, to threatening to sue the district for $35,000, his conduct has been a lesson on how not to govern. With the school...