About Town

Tarmo Hannula: When my friend Noel, a family attorney, dropped me off in downtown Watsonville early Wednesday I walked into the Second Street Café for a coffee. For years I’ve carried my own reusable thermos to save on throw-away cups. In line I got...

Tarmo Hannula: Reporter Todd Guild and I covered the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day march in downtown Santa Cruz this morning. I was glad to see more than 1,500 people participating in the march, waving signs, chanting and glad-handing bystanders. • Three men are in...

Tarmo Hannula: Heavy rain, laced with hail and strong gusts, whipped through the Pajaro Valley before noon Thursday. A friend called me to say he was in the middle of a heavy snow shower on Highway 17 near the summit. Thunderstorm activity could come...

TARMO HANNULA: Temperatures sunk into the 30s overnight. The National Weather Service said rain will drench our region Thursday, starting up before 8 a.m. • More than 17.9 million acres have now burned in Australia’s bush fires, an area larger than Belgium and Denmark combined. So far...

Tarmo Hannula: The Watsonville Municipal Airport has for the first time purchased a large 5,000-gallon jet refueler truck that arrived this past weekend, said airport manager Rayvon Williams. • Joseph Keeler, 28, of Watsonville made his first court appearance Tuesday in Superior Court in the company...

Tarmo Hannula: Though the day started out sunny in Santa Cruz, as I cruised into Watsonville on the METRO bus 69A the city was dark, cold and gray beneath a heavy cloud layer. The streets were still slick with rainwater. The National Weather Service...

Tarmo Hannula: There’s a slight chance of rain this evening, the National Weather Service said. But the big news is several more episodes of rain next week starting Tuesday and then picking up again late Wednesday through Friday. • Video footage and evidence recovered on the...

Tarmo Hannula: Two new police officers will officially hit the streets this weekend in Watsonville to begin their 20-week Field Training phase. When they are done, they will join four others in their various stages of training, which will eventually add up to a...

Tarmo Hannula: The New China Buffet, on the ground floor of the 1871 Mansion House on Main Street in Watsonville, has closed. The historic building, once seated at the corner of Main Street at East Beach Street (once named Third Street) was eventually moved...

Tarmo Hannula: There’s a chance of light rain this evening that could start around 7 p.m. The National Weather Service said the rain could continue into Wednesday morning. Also, king tides will arrive Friday through Sunday. King tides occur when the Earth, moon and sun...