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A consortium of public-private partnership groups that help manufacturers meet federal guidelines would receive broader authority to help defense manufacturers amp up their cyber protections, under a bill introduced Friday by House and Senate lawmakers.

The bill would authorize Manufacturing Extension Partnerships to conduct voluntary assessments of small defense manufacturers' cyber protections and to help those manufacturers implement fixes for cyber vulnerabilities.

Sponsors include Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.

SANTA CRUZ >> As part of an annual tradition to usher in the start of the sailing season, the Santa Cruz Yacht Club held this year's Commodore's Regatta on Saturday afternoon. With flat, clear conditions and strong wind whipping across the race course — set between Capitola and Natural Bridges — 31 boats of various designs trimmed their sails and went into full tilt as they careened across the water. The Commodore's Regatta drew especially zealous crowds to the harbor as it coincided with the 90th anniversary of the Santa Cruz Yacht Club.

WATSONVILLE – Dozens of people gathered at Marinovich park Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to a man who championed civil rights for Latinos, and who revolutionized the way Watsonville chooses its leaders.

Civil Rights Attorney Joaquin Avila died on March 4. He fought to switch Watsonville from at-large to district elections, and for winning several key civil rights cases. He was honored during the memorial service and praised for helping to make possible the careers of local Latino lawmakers such as Rebecca Garcia and Daniel Dodge.

GONZALES — Congressman Jimmy Panetta visited Gonzales High School for a roundtable discussion with students about their Wings of Knowledge project working with local farms to gather data about water consumption in crops April 2.

Panetta sat down with a group of 12 Gonzales High School students to speak about a project the students are working on with Vahid Motazedin.

Salinas >> Johnnie D. Johnson of Salinas has received medals for his 20 years of service in the Navy before, but he never participated in any kind of award ceremony.

"This has never happened before," he said recently in the Salinas office of Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, where Johnson finally received the Vietnam Service Medal. "For one of my other medals, they just handed me a letter. I didn't even know what it was for."

CONGRESSMAN JIMMY Panetta Wednesday awarded a veteran of the Vietnam War with the Vietnam Service Medal, which honors those who served in the 20-year war. Johnnie Dean Johnson, 66, who served with the United States Navy on the USS Coral Sea, was presented the medal at Panetta's district office in Salinas. Johnson took part in the March 1975 Operation Frequent Wind, a largescale evacuation where helicopters were used to transport more than 1,000 Americans and nearly 6,000 Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam to aircraft carriers.

A Vietnam-era veteran was recognized for his service Wednesday in Salinas by Congressman Jimmy Panetta.

Salinas resident Johnnie Johnson, 66, was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal that recognizes his time in the region, specifically during his time on the USS Coral Sea during Operation Frequent Wind in the 1975 evacuation of Saigon as a member of the United States Navy.