About Town

All 280 California State Parks have been closed to all day use visitors and all vehicles are being turned away during the COVID-19 outbreak. • The first case of COVID-19 was announced in Santa Cruz County on March 6 and now — three weeks later —...

PRUNEDALE—A horse that had gone missing in Prunedale for two weeks is now back home and healthy after suffering a bizarre plunge into a large mud pit. North Monterey County Fire Division Chief Jess Mendoza said his crew got a call about a horse rescue...

Temperatures plunged into the low 30s Sunday night and into Monday morning. When I walked out onto my front yard early Monday frost had set in across the grounds. My neighbors’ roofs were frosty white. On Monday night the cold came back and 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 It’s the last day of January 2020. • I noticed a paint crew has started a major paint job on the historic home on the corner of East Beach and Lincoln streets. That’s the towering white place with tall majestic columns, almost identical to the...

First Friday! Artist Ariel Mar is setting up at Fruition Brewing, March 3rd for First Friday! And Ruca Records, will be spreading love through spinning records into the evening. New Snack Alert! Raspberry Snack is back after being sorely missed for two years! Made with local ripe red raspberries from...

Parts of Watsonville changed into a plywood canyon early Thursday after a bizarre poster started circulating on social media threatening "barbaric" protests in the Overlook Shopping Center. Though Watsonville Police took the threat seriously, no violence erupted over the night. However, scores of businesses...

Observations from around the Pajaro Valley.

The Aptos Branch of the Santa Cruz County Public Library is on deck for demolition and rebuild as it has outgrown its current facilities. The County has completed a feasibility study, chosen a design-build team, and started the design process. That design concept was...

TARMO HANNULA A dead humpback whale washed ashore at Rio Del Mar State Beach Monday. California State Parks Ranger Joseph Carr Ritchie said the male humpback was about 13 years old. Researchers are looking into the cause of death while California State Parks is looking...