Watsonville / Pajaro Neighborhood Newsletter for Monday, November 17

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Good morning! It’s November 17 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…

A couple of showers in Watsonville / Pajaro

Today will be more clouds than sun; cool with a couple of showers. There is a 85% chance of rain. The high will be 57 with a low of 46. Cloudy now, changing to mostly cloudy at 11 a.m.

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Watsonville / Pajaro news

Santa Cruz County supervisors will vote on strict battery storage rules prioritizing safety and transparency, supported by New Leaf Energy. County and Caltrans crews are preparing mountain roads for winter with drainage, plowing, and safety upgrades.

The 2025 Lookout List

After thousands of votes across hundreds of categories, the winners and runner-ups are officially in for the inaugural Lookout List. See which of your favorites came out on top.

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What’s new around you

▼︎ police incidents   ▼︎ road incidents   ▼︎ food inspections   ▼︎ events

Read on to see the details about each item…

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Things to do in Watsonville / Pajaro

Add an event to our calendar

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Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region  

• Southbound Highway 1 in Aptos is facing closures for paving work. The closure is expected to end at 5:59 a.m. today.
    
• There is one-way traffic control on Highway 9 at 13.4 Bear Creek Road in San Lorenzo Valley because of work being done. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. today.
    
• A lane is closed in both directions on Highway 9 at Main Street in San Lorenzo Valley because of ramp reconstruction. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. today.
   
• Northbound Highway 17 in Scotts Valley is facing closures for road striping. The closure is expected to end at 4:59 a.m. on November 19.
   
• Southbound Highway 17 in the Eastside / Live Oak area is facing closures for road striping. The closure is expected to end at 5:59 a.m. on November 19.
   

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Restaurant inspections

County officials regularly inspect food facilities to ensure compliance with state laws. Here, Lookout Santa Cruz reports both those who have passed the inspections and those that the county deems to have a “major” issue. The county’s full ongoing report can be accessed here.

• Cardenas at 1437 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on November 13 with no critical issues.
   
• Ace Hardware at 451 Main St., Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on November 14 with no critical issues.
   

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Community crime report

• A person was arrested on outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants from Santa Cruz County. The arrest happened near the 900 Block of Main St., Watsonville, at 1 p.m. on November 13. The person was cited and released at the Watsonville Police Department without any problems. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for being drunk and causing a disturbance in public The incident happened near the 2000 Block of Freedom Blvd. in Watsonville at 11 a.m. on November 13. (source)
   
• A person tried to cash a fake check for $19,000 at a bank. The incident happened near the 600 Block of Main St., Watsonville, at 11 a.m. on November 13. (source)
   

Disclosure: Traffic incidents and police incidents are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.