About Town

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today that some retail stores in California can reopen, with some modifications, as early as Friday. The major move comes during mounting pressure to ease the stay-at-home order that has largely crumbled the state's economy. “We are entering into the...

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday sweeping new changes to relax Covid-19 health standards that could have a dramatic impact on speeding up a gradual reopening of businesses, services, social behavior and even some major league sports—minus the crowds. While some governors advise a "slow...

I walked through the Capitola Mall on 41st Avenue last night and was surprised to see how empty it was. In Beck’s Shoes, a place that’s been there for years and offers a wide range of quality shoes, had one or two customers. The...

Four F-15C Eagle fighter jets blasted across the skies of Watsonville, Santa Cruz and around the state Wednesday as part of a flyover tribute to health care workers, first responders and others on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. The California Air National...

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that it is temporarily stopping jail tours, screening those being brought to the main jail and stopping contact visits at all facilities. The move is in response to the declaration of local health emergency by the...

TARMO HANNULA I got off of the METRO 69A bus Thursday morning at the corner of Green Valley Road at Main Street to check out an incident where five Watsonville Police cars and a fire engine were present at the edge of the Crossroads Center....

Today is Memorial Day, a federal holiday in the U.S. designed to honor and mourn military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. It also marks the unofficial start of summer in the U.S.  • Travel is at an all-time low this holiday weekend, officials...

Smoke from the CZU August Lightning Complex fires has been really bad most of the day. We got something of a break Monday and Tuesday, with blue sky dominating the weather picture. Maybe the wind shifted? I spoke with several people in Watsonville and...

Tarmo Hannula: Our Medditerean climate leaves little to complain about — mild summers, with a few hot spells; mild winters with a few cold weeks and some challenging storms. But these roasting hot days this week and with the scorchers of mid-August that brought us...

Tents and a line of chairs have been set up outside Loaves and Fishes awaiting the normal Mon-Fri lunch for needy people on Second Street in Watsonville. • Of the 200 people tested for coronavirus at Natividad Medical Center, a 172-bed acute-care teaching hospital in Salinas,...