Pajaro Middle School students could return for the 2024-25 year
When the Pajaro River Levee broke during heavy winter rains in March, floodwaters rushed into the town of Pajaro, displacing hundreds of residents and businesses.
It also inundated Pajaro Middle School, forcing the school to close while work crews and district officials assessed the damage...
Officials sign agreement to rebuild Pajaro River Levee
Local, state and federal officials gathered in Watsonville on Tuesday to commemorate an agreement that paves the way for the decades-overdue reconstruction of the Pajaro River Levee.
The legally binding agreement between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Pajaro Regional Flood Risk Management Agency...
Event to honor young LGBT leaders
In the early days of the AIDS crisis, a group of local leaders went to school officials to offer HIV prevention education.
The response they got showed them how much that education—and of LGBT issues in general—were needed.
“They said, ‘you don’t need to do HIV...
New program offers dental care, hygiene kits to seniors
Dozens of volunteers at Grey Bears were busy Thursday morning around two long tables loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables—along with other pantry staples—making packages to be delivered to seniors throughout Santa Cruz County.
The large warehouse was filled with laughter and lively chatter more...
Dolores Huerta to speak at Mello Center
Civil rights activist Dolores Huerta will speak at the Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts in Watsonville on Aug. 12 at 4pm.
She'll be joined on stage by local activists Mireya Gómez-Contreras, co-leader of Esperanza Community Farms, and Ann López, executive director of...
Photo Story: Lowrider show rolls through town
Several customized lowriders cruised along Main Street Sunday during the the opening reception of the latest art exhibit, “More Than Cars: Celebrating Lowrider Culture,” at the Pajaro Valley Arts – Porter Building. The show, which runs through June 30 is in tandem with the...
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...
Pipeline to go under Highway 1
Work is underway to bore a tunnel under Highway 1 in Watsonville, which is part of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency’s College Lake Water Supply pipeline project.
The weeks-long tunnel job, just south of Riverside Drive, will not interrupt Highway 1 traffic flow, said...
Deputy recovering after being shot in Salinas
The Monterey County Sheriff’s deputy who was shot in a nine-hour standoff with an armed man in Salinas last week was released from the hospital over the weekend and is now recovering at home.
On May 31, Deputy Jesse Grant was shot in the arm...
Schools grappling with declining enrollment, absenteeism
As students across the state prepare to return to the classroom from their summer break, school districts are faced with a vexing problem: declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism—both of which have been growing every year—are combining to take a bite out of annual revenues,...
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...