Watsonville, Dominican hospitals resume elective procedures
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Watsonville Community Hospital and Dominican Hospital have restarted offering elective procedures after they were put on hold to help slow the spread of Covid-19 and to prepare for a surge of patients with the disease.
This includes procedures such as surgeries, endoscopies, cardiac...
Santa Cruz County facing dire financial picture
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County will dip into its budgetary reserves to cover an estimated $20 million deficit in this year’s budget, which stems from revenue losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the request by County Administrative Officer Carlos...
PVUSD seniors opt for virtual, drive-thru ceremony
WATSONVILLE—Graduation for Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s 1,179 seniors this year will look drastically different than it has at any time in its history.
That is because the school closures imposed April 1 by state education officials have required students to learn from home for...
Flyover honors first responders, essential workers
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A team of six pilots took the sky over Santa Cruz County Saturday in a first-ever local aerial tribute to those giving to their community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lightning Formation Airshows (LFA), with support from Watsonville Municipal Airport, painted the sky with...
Man dies from shark attack at Santa Cruz County beach
WATSONVILLE—A 26-year-old Santa Cruz County man died Saturday after he was bitten by a shark in the waters just off Manresa State Beach, California Public Safety Superintendent Gabe McKenna confirmed.
The victim has been identified as Santa Cruz resident Ben Kelly, a prominent surfboard maker...
Gov. Newsom: mail-in ballots for all voters in November
SACRAMENTO—Every registered voter in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the November election after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Friday.
The order requires that each county’s elections officials send vote-by-mail ballots for the Nov. 3 general election to all registered voters.
Californians...
New Captain at local CHP
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz area California Highway Patrol has brought aboard a new Captain, Aron Ching.
Born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands, Ching moved to California to pursue a career with the CHP and has been with the department for 23 years.
His new...
Goodwill Central Coast adapts, looks ahead
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—For many, Spring has always been the season to clear out unused and unneeded items from garages, attics and closets. And with people at home during shelter-in-place, Spring cleaning has increased exponentially.
“People are cooped up with nothing to do,” said Alan C....
PVUSD students grapple with closed campuses
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—When Calabasas Elementary School fourth-grader Rosinely Resendez isn’t doing schoolwork in her tiny house in Watsonville, or independently teaching herself algebra online through Khan Academy, she is helping her mother care for her three siblings, including a 2-month-old sister.
Rosi, as her friends...
‘Major modifications’ coming to local summer programs, camps
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—When Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel revised her shelter-in-place order on May 1, she relaxed restrictions on summer programs such as daycare and day camp, allowing families to begin planning activities for their kids after months of restrictions.
The announcement came...