COVID-19

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—State officials have sponsored a community testing site for COVID-19 cases in the Watsonville area, Santa Cruz County Department of Public Health Director Mimi Hall said at Tuesday morning’s Santa Cruz County Supervisors meeting. The hope, Hall said, is it will be operational...

WATSONVILLE—Elderday Adult Day Health Care, a program of local nonprofit Community Bridges, has for years aimed to empower seniors to live at home with independence and dignity.  But after Covid-19 hit and shelter-in-place orders went into effect, Elderday was forced to close. In the following...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Founder and executive director of FoodWhat Doron Comerchero said he is constantly impressed by the strength and resilience of the young people his organization serves. The food justice nonprofit announced on July 30 the allocation of $80,000 for those currently enrolled in its...

By Emanuel Lee, Hollister Free Lance Sports Editor Calling it the “document we’ve been waiting for,” Central Coast Section Commissioner Dave Grissom said the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) recent release in regards to youth sports gives him and the other 10 section commissioners...

WATSONVILLE—Despite the economic shutdowns resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, the city of Watsonville’s overall sales tax revenues have held steady thanks to a myriad of reasons, including a sharp rise in online and local shopping. That’s according to Administrative Services Director Cindy Czerwin who at...

PAJARO—A mass vaccination clinic in Pajaro aimed at North Monterey County residents struggling to find the vaccine will go on as planned Friday, thanks to quick work from Dignity Health-Dominican Hospital and organizer Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance (PVPSA). PVPSA CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez says...

Tarmo Hannula: Chilly weather has gripped much of California as a cold front wandered into the region Sunday. I was in San Francisco Sunday morning and it was plain to see, and feel, as a huge gray blade of clouds slowly sliced across the...

WATSONVILLE—Scores of restaurants around Watsonville have been hit hard by the outbreak of COVID-19. With shelter-in-place orders in effect, residents are asked to stay inside and limit their time near crowds. This includes going to sit-down restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and the like. As such,...

WATSONVILLE—For 40 years, Watsonville’s Smith & Vandiver (S&V) has been manufacturing natural bath, body and skincare products at its FDA-certified facility on Airport Boulevard. But since the outbreak of COVID-19 last month, the company has switched gears—focusing on the production of alcohol-based hand cleansers. “We don’t...

WATSONVILLE—After working a long shift picking strawberries and greens, dozens of farmworkers and their families received the royal treatment thanks to a new program from El Pájaro Community Development Corporation. Called the Farmworker’s Family Dinner, the initiative treated 38 families—roughly 230 people—to meals from El...