About 3,000 protestors filled the environs of Watsonville’s downtown plaza Saturday afternoon, following a march through the streets of Santa Cruz that brought out about 12,000 Trump opponents in the third round of “No Kings” rallies.
Tania Ortiz
Tania Ortiz joins Lookout Santa Cruz as the California Local News Fellow to cover South County. Tania earned her master’s degree in journalism in December 2023 from Syracuse University, where she was a Newhouse Diversity News Fellow. In Syracuse, she covered life and culture for Syracuse.com, writing features on local artists and organizations making an impact on the community.
While studying for her master’s, Tania also reported on feminist collectives in Mexico and their efforts to support families of femicide victims as a Pulitzer Center grantee. She’s also written for other publications such as the Charleston City Paper, The South Side Stand and the Los Angeles Journal.
Originally from Oceanside, Tania is excited to be reporting in her home state after living on the East Coast for two years. She looks forward to learning more about Santa Cruz County and connecting with the community through her reporting.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘No Kings’ 3.0 rallies set for Santa Cruz and Watsonville this weekend; organizers expecting larger crowds
Political organizers in Santa Cruz and Watsonville are expecting large crowds this weekend for a follow-up to October’s nationwide “No Kings” protests against the Trump administration.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville hospital leadership inching closer to finding an external partner; February finances trend positive
Watsonville Community Hospital leadership says it’s closer to finding a potential health care partner to help manage the facility’s day-to-day operations, and hopes to bring options forward in April.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Pajaro Valley Health Care District to restrict feds from using its property for immigration enforcement
The governing board of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, which oversees Watsonville Community Hospital, unanimously approved a resolution to prohibit federal officials from using non-public areas of its facilities for immigration enforcement.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
County officials proposing to remove any references to César Chávez following sexual assault allegations
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will move to rename César Chávez Day and replace any references to the late labor leader after assault allegations against him surfaced in a New York Times investigation.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Horrifying and heartbreaking’: County leaders, organizations react to allegations against late labor leader César Chávez
Santa Cruz County leaders and organizations are responding to allegations of sexual abuse against late labor leader César Chávez, who was a prominent figure in the farmworker and Latino communities.
Posted inLatest News
‘Horrible y desgarrador’: líderes y organizaciones del condado de Santa Cruz reaccionan a las acusaciones contra César Chávez
Líderes y organizaciones del condado de Santa Cruz reaccionan a recientes acusaciones contra el fallecido líder laboral César Chávez, quien fue una figura prominente en las comunidades agrícolas y latinas.
Posted inLatest News
Conservation groups to host cleanup along San Lorenzo River this weekend
The Coastal Watershed Council and the Watershed Stewards Program are hosting a volunteer event on Saturday focused on cleaning the San Lorenzo River watershed.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville nonprofit changes name of award following allegations against labor leader César Chávez
Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services is renaming its community impact awards following sexual abuse allegations against labor leader César Chávez.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
ICE officials visited Watsonville at least nine times in the first two months of 2026, records show
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have visited Watsonville at least nine times in the past two months, according to records provided by the Watsonville Police Department. Immigration agents have now visited Santa Cruz County a total of 39 times since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.