Rio Theater Concert to benefit Andy Vargas Foundation
WATSONVILLE—Wherever he is touring in the world, Santana lead singer Andy Vargas makes sure to let everyone know about his hometown of Watsonville.
“I’ve always been proud to be from Watsonville,” Vargas said. “I tell people that they’ve probably ate our berries or drank our...
New fitness center at Rancho Del Mar
Anytime Fitness, the ninth addition to a chain business of fitness centers that dot the map between Gilroy, Prunedale and Monterey, is slated to open in early July in Aptos.
Cabrillo Gallery opens first exhibit of the year
APTOS—Cardboard is a material that nearly everyone has at their disposal. Often used in packaging and shipping, it is usually broken down to recycle or saved to reuse.
But cardboard can also be full of possibilities for artists. This is apparent at “Extraordinary Ordinary,” Cabrillo...
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy killed after being ambushed by Ben Lomond resident
FELTON—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy killed Saturday afternoon when he was ambushed by a gunman who has been identified as Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38.
Gutzwiller was a father of a young child, and was expecting a new child soon, said Sheriff Jim Hart.
The death...
Man facing slew of child sex abuse charges had ties to County, officials say
A South Lake Tahoe resident was arrested last week on 99 felony counts related to child sex abuse, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said.
Christopher Scott Flanders, 51, was previously a resident in several areas of Santa Cruz County, including Watsonville, Boulder Creek and...
Cabrillo leaders to decide on renaming college
APTOS—On Nov. 14, the Cabrillo College Governing Board will meet to answer a question that has been vexing Santa Cruz County for two years: should the name of its community college be changed?
The effort to possibly change Cabrillo College’s name began in 2020, as...
Card skimmers found at second gas station
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police are again warning the public to be careful with their credit and debit cards after an investigator found two card skimmers at a gas pump.
Credit card skimmers are often installed on gas pumps by criminals to steal account information. They can be...
PVUSD eliminates School Resource Officer program
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday voted to permanently end its School Resource Officer program at Watsonville, Pajaro Valley and Aptos high schools, and to redirect the funds to socio-emotional counselors.
The district will also look into creating wellness centers...
Carrillo pleads guilty to Gutzwiller killing
SANTA CRUZ—The man who shot a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s sergeant to death—days after killing a federal building security guard in Oakland during a crime spree two years ago—pleaded guilty Monday to the local charges.
Steven Carrillo, 33, a former U.S. Air Force sergeant, will...
Michael Watkins, longtime county superintendent, to retire
“At the end of my term, I will have led the organization for 12 years,” he said. “I believe in giving others a chance to bring new ideas and leadership to any organization.”