Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County officials are mulling a plan to retool the county’s public defender’s office, transitioning from its current private delivery system to a public one. The move comes as the county’s contract with Biggam, Christensen and Minslof (BCM)—which has provided indigent criminal...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Two Santa Cruz County residents died Tuesday due to complications from the novel Coronavirus, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel announced during a Wednesday press conference. The fatalities bring the county’s death toll to six. Newel said Covid-19 was the leading factor...

Many of California’s roughly 3.8 million small business owners have scrambled to find some financial relief after Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 19 ordered all non-essential businesses to close to slow the spread of COVID-19. That meant bars, breweries and nightclubs were forced to shutter...

Rhea Wood DeHart was a longtime teacher, union member, mentor and activist who helped lead the drive to unionize South County teachers, reshaped Watsonville politics and remained deeply active in the community she loved until the end of her life.

Volunteers help remove stacks of sandbags Saturday at the flood-stricken College Road neighborhood as part of a large-scale cleanup. The one-day event, which drew more than 100 people, was organized by Supervisor Felipe Hernandez and his Chief of Staff Ramon Gomez. Numerous members of...

By Michael Moore, of the Morgan Hill Times SANTA CLARA COUNTY—Gilroy resident Alan Viarengo, who taught math at Gavilan College for nearly 20 years, was arrested last week on suspicion of stalking and threatening Santa Clara County’s public health officer, and police say he has...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police arrested a teen male and recovered two loaded handguns Tuesday evening after responding to a report of a group of teenagers smoking and drinking at a park in a quiet suburb. Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said police got a call about...

The Watsonville Film Festival will present the "Healthy Community Film Series" in the fall, hosting local and international filmmakers, panels with local experts and family activities.

WATSONVILLE—A locally brewed project of painting mile markers along the Pajaro River and Salsipuedes Creek levee system came to fruition Wednesday. Buoyed by a large pack of community members, Watsonville City Councilmember Ari Parker, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Greg Caput, city and county workers and...

A large group of health, county and city officials boarded a bus and toured health centers across the county Thursday as part of National Health Center Week.