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California Highway Patrol officer Sam Courtney leads a procession Wednesday for the hearse (second in line) carrying the late Santa Cruz City Fire Capt. Brian Tracy. After a two-year battle with brain cancer, Tracy died April 27. He was born and raised in Santa...

Barricades were recently taken down where Atkinson Lane meets Freedom Boulevard during construction of the new Tabasas Gardens homes (shown here). The lane had been closed to allow for construction for more than a year.

Big changes are now underway at the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO). As of Dec. 21, METRO is implementing bus service improvements as part of Reimagine METRO, an effort to increase service, adapt to post-Covid travel patterns and create a more useful transit...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Postmaster is warning residents to take steps to prevent mail theft after several recent thefts have been reported throughout the city. According to Postmaster Alejandra Alvarado, there have been as many as three reports per week since November of stolen mail and packages,...

PAJARO—Motorists who have been taking hours-long detours since waters from a flood forced the closure of Highway 1 saw a measure of relief Thursday morning, after officials opened the road. Officials cautioned, however, that parts of the highway between Salinas Road and Highway 129...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—El Sistema Santa Cruz/Pajaro Valley, a nonprofit aiming to bring music education and performance to students, has been selected as a finalist for a prestigious national award. The Lewis Prize for Music announced 10 finalists for its fourth annual Accelerator Awards last week....

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Since its inception last year, more than 100 people have gone through Santa Cruz County’s Neighborhood Courts program, with 90 completing the requirements set out in their agreements and avoiding a permanent criminal record. Now, the program is looking for a team of...

Santa Cruz County residents will consider a half-cent sales tax on the March 5 ballot which, if approved by a simple majority, will fund wildfire protection programs, as well as public safety, road and park improvements and other services. The Santa Cruz County Board of...

Congresswoman Barbara Lee visited Watsonville Monday evening as part of her campaign to gain the seat of outgoing U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. After an introduction by Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, Lee took to the podium at Jalisco’s restaurant where more than 100 people welcomed her.  Representing California’s...

A local woman who leads Granite Construction’s sustainability program traveled to New York on Sept. 17, where she was recognized by the United Nations’ Global Compact Network USA, a program that encourages companies to follow human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption principles. Sustainability Manager Raven...