Newsom signs several housing bills
WATSONVILLE—Governor Gavin Newsom on the final day of action for the 2019 legislative season signed Assembly Bill 1783, also known as the Farmworker Housing Act of 2019, which creates a streamlined process to build farmworker housing on agricultural land.
The bill was authored by Assemblymember...
County’s places of worship, retail stores allowed to open at reduced capacity
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel on Tuesday revised her shelter-in-place order to align most of the county’s restrictions with that of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order.
The new county order will open places of worship, in-store retail, outdoor museums and limited...
Sheriff’s Office unveils ‘less-lethal’ devices
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...
Thousands flock to World’s Shortest Parade
The Fourth of July parade unfolded along a section of Soquel Drive Thursday, with 103 entries in what has been branded as the World’s Shortest Parade.
Police warn of porch pirates, offer tips to stop them
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...
Man arrested for firing shots; no injuries
LIVE OAK — Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Sunday arrested a man who reportedly fired several shots into the air in the area of Winkle Drive and Soquel Avenue.
Anthony Martinez-Franco, 18, was charged with willful discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm...
PVUSD builds on Career Technical Education program
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved nine new courses at five high schools that will bolster the district’s newly retooled Career Technical Education program.
The new courses were created as extensions of the existing ones, with the penultimate...
Running October call list casts light on domestic violence
WATSONVILLE—Every year during the month of October, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office sends daily statistics to local media, counting the domestic violence calls to which county law enforcement officials respond.
It is a grim tally and a reminder during Domestic Violence Awareness Month...
Richard Del Piero, one of PVUSD’s founders, dies
WATSONVILLE—Richard Del Piero was a Watsonville High School graduate, a U.S. Air Force Veteran and a local farmer who as a school board member in the 1960s helped reign in several local education agencies to create the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.
Del Piero died...
Artist sought for La Selva Beach library project
The Santa Cruz County Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services is seeking an artist to create a public art project for the La Selva Beach Public Library.
