COVID-19

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County residents will have to stay home for at least another month. County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel on Tuesday night extended the county’s shelter-in-place order through May 3. The order, first enacted on March 17 to slow the spread of COVID-19,...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—One day after Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel announced she was closing parks, beaches and open spaces countywide starting Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. to combat the spread of coronavirus, Sheriff Jim Hart said that law enforcement personnel will start...

WATSONVILLE—All major City of Watsonville events have been canceled through the end of the year, City Manager Matt Huffaker said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. That includes the annual Spirit of Watsonville Fourth of July Parade, the Watsonville Strawberry Festival and the Wine, Beer and...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—While scores of agencies and organizations, from food banks to senior centers, grapple with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, area faith groups are also finding new ways to redirect their message.  Online services, thanks to live streaming, Zoom and live chats, are now taking...

CENTRAL COAST—Precautions around the coronavirus outbreak have forced officials to restack this year’s salmon season and close launch ramps in area harbors. California’s recreational ocean salmon fishing season will be delayed statewide through the end of the month, despite plans made earlier this year for...

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville will use a little more than half a million dollars of federal funding to bolster the community’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. The City will dish $200,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County to support its county-wide efforts during...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel on Thursday indefinitely extended the shelter-in-place order issued on March 31. She also closed the county’s beaches between the hours of 11am and 5pm. Both moves are meant to further reduce the spread of COVID-19 by...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said Friday that his deputies—along with law enforcement officials across the county—plan to enforce the beach restrictions issued Thursday by Health Officer Gail Newel. The health officer imposed the rules to slow the spread of the novel...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—For many, Spring has always been the season to clear out unused and unneeded items from garages, attics and closets. And with people at home during shelter-in-place, Spring cleaning has increased exponentially. “People are cooped up with nothing to do,” said Alan C....

SACRAMENTO—Every registered voter in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the November election after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Friday. The order requires that each county’s elections officials send vote-by-mail ballots for the Nov. 3 general election to all registered voters.  Californians...