News

WATSONVILLE—Over the summer, Pajaro Valley Unified School District completed 65 maintenance, construction and upgrade projects to the tune of $30 million. That was all thanks to Measure L, the $150 million bond approved by voters in 2012. That bond is nearing the end of its...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police are warning the public to be on the lookout for holiday package thieves, and are suggesting a few simple safeguards to stop theft. The issue came to the forefront this holiday season when a resident recorded a daylight burglary from her Watsonville residence...

SANTA CRUZ—Based on updated information and in response to concerns from the commercial Dungeness crab fleet, including written requests from Port Associations to further delay, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham has delayed the start date for the California Dungeness...

SALINAS—The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, public health and regulatory officials in several states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas Valley.  Thus far there have been...

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...

APTOS—Nonprofit workers in Santa Cruz County are two times more likely than the general public to require the very social services they help provide. That’s according to a recent survey conducted by the Human Care Alliance (HCA), a coalition of nonprofit agencies from around the...

WATSONVILLE—The future of Santa Cruz County’s syringe services program was in the community’s hands this week. In two meetings held by the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency in Santa Cruz on Nov. 14 and Watsonville on Tuesday, officials asked attendees to outline what questions...

APTOS—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies have a new tool to help them arrest uncooperative suspects without serious injury. Dozens of sheriff’s office personnel on Wednesday were training on the use of the Bola Wrap, a handheld device that fires an 8-foot cord with barbed hooks...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously adopted an ordinance that will require restaurants and stores to charge a 25-cent fee on all single-use cups starting next summer. The move is aimed at reducing the estimated 50 million to-go cups...

SANTA CRUZ—Dozens of homeless people were roused by police officers in their tents early Friday morning at Phoenix Camp, the unsanctioned encampment behind the Gateway Plaza at River Street and Highway 1 in Santa Cruz. The message was clear: the residents were trespassing on city-owned...