Home | The Pajaronian | Watsonville, CA

Local News

Pilots Association prevails on airport land use case

March 6, 2026

Local News

New giant mural celebrated in Pajaro

March 2, 2026

Local News

National leadership award lands in local hands

February 26, 2026

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RTC looks to federal, state government to fill rail funding gap

Local News

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) will seek funding from the state and federal government to support construction planning for a passenger...

Knowing the way to—and through—San Jose

Travel

I’ve been visiting San Jose since the mid-1970s. My first stop there was when a friend dropped me off at the airport after we drove...

Pilots Association prevails on airport land use case

Local News

A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Watsonville violated state law when it approved housing development near the...

Advocates warn of immigration scam

Local News

Legal advocates are warning the public about a multistate scam targeting the immigrant community, with some victims losing as much as $30,000. According to Claudia...

Meeting highlights downsides of BESS facilities

Local News

More than 150 people gathered Feb. 28 at Pinto Lake City Park to share ideas and information about a proposed Battery Energy Storage System...

‘Catz edge Nueva to capture first-ever CCS championship | Girls soccer

High School Sports

Jackie Cano has been an unstoppable force for the Watsonville girls’ soccer team since the Central Coast Section playoffs began in mid February. The star...

CRIME, FIRE & COURTS

Freedom man arrested for child sex crimes

March 6, 2026

Morgan Hill Police on Thursday arrested a Freedom man after he allegedly traveled to Morgan Hill to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl. Alexis Javier Mendez-Gallardo,...

Man arrested after wild chase

March 6, 2026

This story has been corrected from an earlier version. The chase did not go through Pajaro Middle School. A search for a wanted man with...

Update: Man arrested for DUI in Ace Hardware crash

February 27, 2026

A man suspected of driving while intoxicated was arrested early Friday morning after he reportedly lost control of his pickup and slammed into the...

Chucky De Luna inspects the damage where a fire demolished a Ford F550 pickup at the rear loading area of Habitat for Humanity's Restore late Monday night on the 500 block of Main Street.

Blaze destroys Habitat for Humanity truck

February 26, 2026

A late-night fire destroyed a truck at the Restore, a thrift shop in downtown Watsonville run by Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay. Firefighters responded to...

OPINION

Letters to the Editor March 6-12

March 6, 2026

Democrats disrespectful during State of the Union I condemn the Democratic members of Congress for refusing to stand and applaud victims of preventable tragedies during the SOTU address. Their inaction reveals misplaced priorities and a lack of empathy for shattered lives. Take the 5-year-old girl who miraculously survived a truck ramming...