Local News

Santa Cruz County’s agricultural production increased in value in 2025, fueled largely by a strong year for strawberries, according to the county’s annual crop report. The estimated gross production value of agricultural commodities reached $762.96 million, up 2.8% from $741.92 million in 2024. The figures...

The 2026 Billionaire Tax Act is dominating airwaves this election season as Californians get ready to vote on the nation’s first wealth tax. Also known as the Billionaire Tax, Proposition 40 creates a one-time 5% wealth tax on taxpayers with over $1 billion in assets....

Editor's note, this story was updated at 3pm on Sept. 30, 2026 with a statement by Digital NEST founder and CEO Jacob Martinez. The Digital NEST tech nonprofit settled a sexual harassment lawsuit centered on allegations against Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Gabriel Medina,...

When we learned that Dolly Parton had passed away on Aug. 25, so many of us in Santa Cruz County felt the loss personally, not just as fans of her music, but as a community lucky enough to carry a piece of her legacy...

At Jim Booth Swim School, kids as young as 4 months spend time in the water, building the skills to become strong swimmers under the guidance of certified instructors. Three-time Olympian swimmer Nicolas Nilo Oliveira didn’t get that opportunity. Oliveira grew up in Belo Horizonte, Brazil,...

Watsonville Community Hospital may close in the next six to 12 months if it does not improve its financial situation.  That was the message from hospital CEO Tim Moran at Tuesday’s Pajaro Valley Health Care District special meeting.  According to CFO Julie Peterson, the hospital lost...

After months of public debate, the Watsonville City Council has decided to deactivate and remove 17 Flock cameras, reducing the number of cameras in Watsonville from 37 to 20. Additionally, data will only be stored for seven days as opposed to the previous 30...

A fire on Sept. 18 burned through part of the battery energy storage facility that was significantly damaged during the January 2025 Vistra battery fire.  Monterey County officials announced the fire was no longer an active threat around noon later that day, though shelter-in-place notices...

Santa Cruz County election officials have a message for voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election: Consider voting naked. The advice, County Clerk Tricia Webber explained Tuesday, refers not to the voter but to the ballot. A “naked ballot” is a vote-by-mail ballot that a voter...

More than 55,000 people attended the Santa Cruz County Fair this year, an 11% jump from last year. The number includes paid attendance from the public as well as the fair’s long list of volunteers, said fair spokesman Ron Haedicke. “There were no major incidents and...