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More than 100 people gathered in Santa Cruz County Superior Court on Dec. 15 to watch the swearing-in of its newest judge, Erika Ziegenhorn, who formerly served as a prosecutor in the District Attorney’s office. Attendees included prosecutors, defense attorneys, Superior Court judges, county workers...

As summer wanes and the school year approaches, hundreds of families gathered in Watsonville Plaza Saturday to receive free new backpacks filled with school supplies. In hosting its annual backpack giveaway, the Salvation Army Watsonville Corps joined with the Red Cross, Community Action Board of...

WATSONVILLE—Since the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of schools nationwide, education officials have been struggling to rebound from the significant—and unanticipated—academic and emotional toll at-home learning wrought on young people. Pajaro Valley Unified School District has since boosted its ranks of socio-emotional counselors and mental...

CAPITOLA—Two people were arrested Monday night on 41st Avenue on suspicion of running a rampant theft ring. Ashley Keehn, spokeswoman for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies spotted a vehicle at CVS on 41st Avenue that was suspected to be involved in an...

On March 25 from 2-4pm, the Mount Madonna School fifth grade class is organizing a community beach cleanup of Platforms Beach in Aptos. Volunteers of all ages are invited to join in the effort; the students will supply trash bags and buckets, and each...

The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau (SCCFB) was honored with five County Activities of Excellence Awards, and was a finalist in the statewide Innovator Awards at the California Farm Bureau’s 104th meeting in early December. A local delegation of five attended the annual meeting in...

Aldo Valenzuela Roman (standing, at right), a dance instructor from Michoacán, Mexico, leads members of the youth group, Estrellas De Esperanza, which is headed up by Ruby Vasquez. Roman was helping students learn traditional Mexican dances Thursday inside the Watsonville Center for the Arts....

WATSONVILLE—This Friday the Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) will present its Fifth Annual Día de Muertos celebration at Watsonville City Plaza.  The event will feature a screening of the Disney/Pixar animated movie “Coco,” as well as music, dance and artwork inspired by the traditional Mexican holiday,...

NOTE: Reporters Todd Guild, Johanna Miller, Tarmo Hannula and Erik Chalhoub contributed to this article. For more than two years, people have clamored for the return to “normal” after the uncertainties of a pandemic. In 2022, we got a taste of normalcy, but it was far...

Caltrans is scheduled to close both directions of Highway 1 for a 24-hour block on March 23/24 to make way for the demolition of the 1948 Capitola Ave. overcrossing.  Kevin Drabinski, spokesperson for Caltrans, said the work is the second phase of the three-phase project...