Local News

SANTA CRUZ—The man who was 15 when he kidnapped, raped and murdered 8-year-old Madyson “Maddy” Middleton in 2015 pleaded guilty to the charges on Tuesday, setting the stage for a sentencing that could see him released by the time he is 25. That is because...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will consider allocating some $5.8 million to dozens of social services and programs countywide over the next three years. This includes just over $770,000 for United Way’s Cradle to Career, $436,221 for Meals on Wheels and $241,680...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Health officers from 12 counties on Friday doubled down on their recommendations that everyone exercise Covid-19 safety precautions, including wearing a mask indoors and staying up to date on vaccinations. The announcement comes as cases of highly contagious Omicron sub-variants and hospitalizations continue...

WATSONVILLE—Young people in South County suffering from mental health crises now have the option of a response that does not have to involve hospitalization. The South County Mobile Emergency Response Team for Youth (MERTY) was created to provide community and field-based crisis intervention services to...

WATSONVILLE—Two people, including a 16-year-old Watsonville boy, were killed on March 19 in a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Green Valley Road and Pennsylvania Drive. Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said the 20-year-old driver, identified by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office as...

WATSONVILLE—The board tasked with purchasing and overseeing Watsonville Community Hospital told the Santa Cruz County Supervisors Tuesday that they still have to raise roughly $15 million by Aug. 31 to complete the $61.7 million sale. The Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board of Directors has...

The Watsonville Planning Commission approved a drive-thru Starbucks in the Watsonville Square Shopping Center Tuesday, one of two such coffee shops in the works for the city.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Watsonville man arrested last month for allegedly killing his stepdaughter 16 years ago in Florida has died after severing the femoral artery in his leg while in jail and suffering hemorrhagic shock, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said Tuesday. Raul...

WATSONVILLE—The company that purchased Watsonville Community Hospital two years ago—Los Angeles-based Halsen Healthcare—has been removed from a leadership role as of Jan. 18. Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings will now run the hospital on an interim basis. The announcement came Monday via an email to...

WATSONVILLE—Since 1983, Pajaro Valley Shelter Services (PVSS) has aimed to address the needs of women and children affected by homelessness in the greater Watsonville area. Founded by Sister Susan Olson and Sister Marie Veronica through Catholic Charities, the organization eventually broke off and became...