New county government center open for business
Three years after the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted to purchase the former West Marine building on Westridge Drive, a convergence of city and county officials gathered at the site Tuesday to celebrate its new incarnation.
The 121,000 square-foot South County Government Center...
Beach death being investigated
A man died at Moran Beach along East Cliff Drive in Live Oak Friday.
Ashley Keehn of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff'’s Office identified the victim as Hans Materne, 45, of Atlanta, Ga.
The Sheriff’s Office said deputies, Harbor Patrol, State Parks, and fire personnel were...
Community shows its pride
Elaine Johnson was 15 before she realized that the “aunt” who lived with her grandmother was actually her grandmother’s partner of four decades.
In those days, LGBTQ largely had to live in the shadows, lest they draw scorn from a society not yet evolved enough...
Police dismantle UCSC encampment, arrest dozens
This story was updated May 31 at 6:00 p.m.
UC Santa Cruz Police called upon law enforcement agencies from several jurisdictions from across the state early Friday morning to dismantle a pro-Palestine encampment and secure the entrance of campus, where roughly 100 students were protesting...
Remembering the fallen: community celebrates Memorial Day
For Michelle Martinez Kamalani and her mother, Judy Martinez of Watsonville, Memorial Day meant setting time aside to visit Valley Catholic Cemetery.
With an electric weed-whacker, a whisk broom, hand clippers and two bunches of fresh flowers, the pair wandered through the rows of flower-festooned...
Brazen armed burglary at Watsonville pot dispensary
In the wake of a May 25 burglary at his Watsonville cannabis dispensary, Bryce Berryessa installed several new features designed to deter similar crimes from occurring again.
According to Watsonville Police Department, 12 armed suspects used an SUV to ram and break open the dispensary’s...
Travels with Tarmo: Homeward bound from state’s capital
Editor's note: This is the final part of reporter Tarmo Hannula's trip to the Sacramento area. Stay tuned to The Pajaronian for his future travel exploits.
One the last day of the short road trip my wife, Sarah and I took from Watsonville to Sacramento,...
PVUSD trustees approve $315M bond for November election
If Pajaro Valley Unified School District performed all the upgrades, repairs and construction projects that are needed at its 33 schools, it would cost more than $1.2 billion.
A large part of that estimate is $400 million to replace the district’s array of portable classrooms
That’s...
Community Bridges celebrates new downtown mural
Dozens of people gathered in downtown Watsonville Friday afternoon to celebrate the completion of a new large outdoor mural at Community Bridges at the corner of Main Street and West Lake Avenue.
Titled “Wisdom of Our Elders,” the colorful 225-foot-by-32-foot mural represents a collaboration between...
Many bridges to Sacramento
Editor's note: This is part two of photojournalist Tarmo Hannula's recent trip to Sacramento.
After exploring Grizzly Island Wildlife Area on the morning of the second day of our road trip to Sacramento recently, my wife, Sarah, and I steered toward a string of small...
Truck plunges into creek in Watsonville
END OVER END Tow operators from Chaz Towing work on a plan to haul a GMC Sierra pickup out of Corralitos Creek on...