Get all the information you need as a Santa Cruz County voter as the June 2 primary election arrives.
Corralitos / Freedom
Posted inFood & Drink
As Martinelli’s cancels contracts, Watsonville apple farmers lose their biggest buyer – and a way of life
For decades, Pajaro Valley apple farmers relied on S. Martinelli & Co. as their primary — and often only — buyer, but the company’s decision to stop renewing some grower contracts has left longtime orchardists scrambling for alternatives and questioning the future of local apple farming.
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley High’s ‘spirit of the school’ graduates after four years of leadership
Pajaro Valley High School senior Jonathan Escobar, once a shy student who faced bullying in middle school, will graduate this week after four years as a prominent campus leader, cheerleader and class president. This fall, he’s going to UC Davis to study biology or political science.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
What will Watsonville Community Hospital’s next chapter be?
State Sen. John Laird warns that Watsonville Community Hospital is once again facing a financial crisis, with fewer than 10 days of cash on hand. Recently passed emergency legislation will provide $10.6 million in short-term relief to help the hospital stay afloat through July 1, he writes, but it is not a permanent solution. Laird argues that federal funding cuts have reversed years of financial progress and left community hospitals like Watsonville especially vulnerable. The hospital continues to seek a long-term partner to survive.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Your guide to the 2026 Santa Cruz County primary election
Get all the information you need as a Santa Cruz County voter on candidates and important dates as the June 2 primary election draws closer.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville police make arrest after online threat to graduation ceremony
Watsonville police arrested a 21-year-old man Wednesday morning after they say he admitted to posting a threat on social media to commit a mass shooting at a Pajaro Valley Unified School District graduation ceremony.
Posted inLatest News
Thursday evening traffic: Highway 9 crash, Hwy 1 flooding, multiple road closures
Thursday traffic trouble spots in and around Santa Cruz County.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘We grew up here’: Some longtime residents say battery storage project near Watsonville might force them to move
Lifelong residents near the proposed battery storage facility on Minto Road outside Watsonville talked with Lookout about their concerns over the project, with some saying that they’ve thought about moving out of the area if the project gets approved.
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley Unified delays discussion of relocation of schools after community urges board to reject proposal
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District governing board has postponed discussion of a controversial proposal to relocate students from Renaissance High to Duncan Holbert School and disperse Duncan Holbert’s special education program after parents, staff and students urged trustees to reject the plan.
Posted inLatest News
Tuesday evening traffic: Wrong-way driver on San Andreas Rd; multiple lane closures
Tuesday traffic trouble spots in and around Santa Cruz County.
