Soquel man dies in solo-vehicle crash
APTOS—A Soquel man died in a solo-vehicle crash early Saturday morning, California Highway Patrol officer Alyssa Gutierrez said.
Just before 1am Carlos Deleon, 42, was traveling west on Soquel Drive in a 2005 Pontiac G6. For unknown reasons, Deleon lost control and smashed into a...
Watsonville hospital sale nears completion
WATSONVILLE—The local nonprofit created to purchase and run Watsonville Community Hospital has won its bid to buy the hospital’s operations, a move that canceled a planned auction and advanced the matter to a sale hearing on Wednesday.
According to documents filed with the Northern District...
Cabrillo plans to begin in-person classes Tuesday
APTOS—Cabrillo College’s students will return to in-person instruction, about one month after beginning the spring semester with a distance learning model.
Cabrillo President and Superintendent Matt Wetstein said the decision comes as the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 declines and as the Omicron...
County pilot program aims for unified approach to homelessness
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a project designed to integrate clinical, mental health and housing services to help the county’s population of homeless people with mental illness and substance use disorders
The Mental Health Services Act Innovation Plan is...
PG&E plans to increase undergrounding efforts
CALIFORNIA—In recent years, residents of the Golden State have been hit with another unwelcome event: repetitive power outages. The outages that once occasionally darkened our homes have become almost routine year-round occurrences, and Californians have been clamoring for Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E)...
Drive-thru Crab Feed returns March 5
WATSONVILLE—The 18th Annual Fairgrounds Foundation Crab Feed will return March 5, and once again it will be a drive-thru event.
The annual feed is one of the foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year. All profits of the event will go directly back to the fairgrounds...
Supervisors mull post-employment lobbying rule
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new ordinance which, if given final approval on March 8, will impose a one-year “cooling off” period during which former County employees would be prohibited from engaging in lobbying activities for...
Deputy Sheriffs’ Association makes record donation for memorial park
SOQUEL—The Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs' Association (DSA) has offered a $100,000 “challenge” grant to help fund a memorial for Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was killed on duty on June 6, 2020.
The grant is the largest donation in the organization’s history.
The DSA now...
Dientes celebrates 18th annual Give Kids A Smile Day
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Feb. 12 marked a day of free smiles for 48 low-income children in Santa Cruz County thanks to Dientes’ celebration of Give Kids A Smile Day.
This annual day of free care, which has grown to serve more than 300,000 children each year...
Photo: City Plaza’s new self-cleaning restrooms arrive
A crew from Watsonville Public Works & Utilities installs new self-cleaning restrooms on the Union Street side of the City Plaza Wednesday.
The long-awaited restrooms were delivered Tuesday morning. They will feature two stalls and are expected to be completed and open to the...
ICE becomes an autocratic tool
It is generally accepted that, historically, a common survival strategy for autocratic leaders includes forming a personal paramilitary support group. These groups serve to...
