Nick Sestanovich

Lilies serve as a memorial on Monday for William Westerman, 65, of Scotts Valley as workers at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf repair the spot where Westerman drove his minivan through the fence and into Monterey Bay on Sunday. Rescue workers extricated Westerman from the submerged vehicle, but he was declared dead shortly thereafter at Dominican Hospital. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Authorities identify man killed after vehicle plunged off Santa Cruz Wharf

October 28, 2025 at 5:41 a.m.

On Monday, lilies had been placed at the spot on the wharf where the vehicle drove through the railing and a crew from the city of Santa Cruz was working...

Watsonville police investigate a stabbing and felony battery incident that occurred on campus at Watsonville High School Thursday. The incidents resulted in injuries to two students and a faculty member, and four suspects — all students — were arrested. (Nick Sestanovich – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

3 injured, 4 arrested in stabbing, battery incidents on Santa Cruz County high school campus

October 24, 2025 at 7:25 a.m.

Four Watsonville High School students were arrested for two separate incidents that occurred on campus Thursday morning — one a pair of stabbings that injured a student and faculty member,...

Former state Sen. Bill Monning holds up a sign approved by Monterey County in 1981 indicating a field sprayed with pesticides. A UC Berkeley study published Tuesday indicated that Monterey County had the highest proportion of pregnant people near pesticide fields and Santa Cruz County had the fourth highest proportion. (Nick Sestanovich – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Study: Santa Cruz County ranks 4th in pesticide proximity to pregnant residents

October 1, 2025 at 5:46 a.m.

The use of pesticides in the Pajaro Valley has drawn further scrutiny in recent months, especially with various demonstrations and the efforts of a 30-day hunger strike by local activists.

The Cement Ship remained accessible to the public, just off the center of the end of Seacliff pier in 2000. (Dan Coyro — Santa Cruz Sentinel file)

New novel ‘Seacliff Park’ tells fictional story of famed Cement Ship

September 29, 2025 at 6:02 a.m.

APTOS — For nearly a century, one object has undoubtedly caught the eyes of anyone who has visited Seacliff State Beach: The Cement Ship permanently grounded and now largely submerged...

Zora Wilson (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Gabe Wilson (Winston Duke) in “Us,” written, produced and directed by Jordan Peele. The film, which had scenes shot at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, will kick off the Boardwalk’s Fright Flicks lineup Oct. 1. (File — Claudette Barius/Universal Studios)

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk hosting spooky screenings throughout October

September 16, 2025 at 8:54 a.m.

Kicking off the lineup Oct. 1 is a staple of Fright Flicks screenings: Jordan Peele's "Us."

Santa Cruz tech CEO indicted on wire fraud charges over purported music streaming service

August 7, 2025 at 6:49 a.m.

A 70-year-old software company CEO made his first appearance in federal court after being arrested on four charges of wire fraud stemming from alleged misrepresentations over its music streaming service

Doug Haut loads a surfboard blank onto a machine in his Swift Street shop where a router will cut the deck before the board is flipped over to work on the bottom half. The legendary Santa Cruz surfboard shaper will be releasing a special anniversary line to commemorate 60 years of shaping surfboards. (Nick Sestanovich — Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Doug Haut marks 60 years of shaping surfboards with commemorative anniversary line

July 29, 2025 at 11:44 a.m.

Doug Haut, 85, has created anniversary lines every 10 years but has indicated this will be his final anniversary line and that the boards will be made exclusively for collectors.

The Watsonville Police Department seized 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from a home in Hollister after learning that a group had been selling them in Watsonville and throughout Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. (Contributed – Watsonville Police Department)

Police seize 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks, guns and drugs in Hollister bust

June 12, 2025 at 8:49 a.m.

The investigation led officers to a home in Hollister, where they uncovered the fireworks as well as an unlawful assault rifle and a kilogram of cocaine.

FILE - In this July 8, 2019, file photo, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer looks on during an operation in Escondido, Calif. Advocacy groups and unions are pressuring Marriott, MGM and others not to house migrants who have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. But the U.S. government says it sometimes needs bed space, and if hotels don’t help it might have to split up families. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

Santa Cruz County resident detained by ICE, advocacy group reports

May 29, 2025 at 6:07 a.m.

The arrest is believed to be the first case of reported ICE activity in Watsonville since Donald Trump was inaugurated to his second term.

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3 injured in Santa Cruz Mountains crash involving Cupertino school bus

May 21, 2025 at 6:08 a.m.

The Mini Cooper driver sustained major injuries and was transported to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose. Two of the children on the bus received minor injuries, neither...

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