Local News

All trails, parks and beaches in the county remain closed due to COVID-19. A Santa Cruz County Sheriff deputy was keeping watch on a bicycle/pedestrian path in the Santa Cruz Harbor in Live Oak Sunday. • A man and a woman died in a solo-vehicle crash...

PAJARO—Joining a worldwide effort to stave off the spread of COVID-19, Sister Rosa Dolores and a team of six volunteers have started a production line of masks at Casa de la Cultura in Pajaro. The group has made more than 100 masks and is working...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Starting today the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) is enacting sweeping changes to further comply with the March 16 shelter-in-place order.  Since mass transit is an essential service, METRO will provide fixed-route and para-transit service as long as possible during the COVID-19...

SANTA CRUZ—The man and woman suspected of killing and robbing a woman in Pasatiempo on March 31 made their first court appearance on Tuesday, but did not enter a plea. Caitlin Crenshaw and Cody Huynh, both 23, return to court on April 14 for continued...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police Department is warning residents about a scam in which a caller pretends to be a police officer and asks for a callback to discuss “confidential legal matters.”  The caller reportedly falsely claimed to be WPD Sgt. Michael Ridgway. The person who received the call...

WATSONVILLE—Farmers markets around the county continue to operate through the COVID-19 crisis since they are deemed essential businesses.  Though some of the markets have pared down their offerings, eliminating things such as flowers, nursery goods, some prepared foods and entertainment, the outdoor venues still play...

WATSONVILLE—For 40 years, Watsonville’s Smith & Vandiver (S&V) has been manufacturing natural bath, body and skincare products at its FDA-certified facility on Airport Boulevard. But since the outbreak of COVID-19 last month, the company has switched gears—focusing on the production of alcohol-based hand cleansers. “We don’t...

APTOS—As businesses and services remain closed during the shelter-in-place order – and as Personal Protective Equipment becomes harder to find – a Cabrillo College instructor is staying on the job to make more. Art Studio Instructor Payson McNett, who runs the college’s Digital Fabrication department...

WATSONVILLE—As shoppers flock to grocery stores, stocking up on fresh, frozen and canned foods, California farms are working to keep up with the demand. In Watsonville, large and small farms alike are sending unprecedented amounts of products to local and national stores, as well as...