Local News

For the past decade, local author Joyce Oroz has steadily released volumes of her Josephine Stuart Mystery Series. And now the 12th book has joined the lineup. “Lost and Bound” follows the series’ titular character, Josephine Stuart, as she investigates the death of a woman...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—As people venture out for the Christmas holiday, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is preparing for a busy travel weekend in Santa Cruz  County.   The CHP will kick off a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) beginning at 6:01pm today and will continue through 11:59pm Monday.   During...

Field workers help pick up a load of strawberries that toppled from a shipping truck on Riverside Drive at Locust Street Monday. The spill backed up eastbound traffic from 1:45pm until 2:15pm.

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a series of 11 expenditures at eight schools aimed at preparing for students to return to class in January. The projects include upgrades to heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems (HVAC), and window...

A fence is draped with snow early Tuesday morning on Summit Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains as the freezing level dropped to about 2,000 feet overnight.

A hiker in Corralitos found the body of a 25-year-old Watsonville woman Sunday morning after she had been reported missing under suspicious circumstances Saturday night.  “This is an ongoing investigation, and we are investigating Lizbeth Arceo Sedano’s death as a homicide,” said Santa Cruz County...

More than 300 students, grades six through 12 from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, converged at the Baskin Engineering building at UC Santa Cruz Saturday to compete in the annual Math, Engineering, Science Achievement preliminary competition.

WATSONVILLE—The city of Watsonville has reinvented its Bulky Items Collection Program. Abandoned years ago, the program now offers Watsonville residents a free chance to unload mattresses, appliances, some furniture, tires, carpeting and more. Gabe Gordo, Solid Waste Division Manager, said the program is available to residents...

Several people gathered in a large meeting room at Watsonville Public Library recently, where they delved into the cultural significance of Japanese paper lanterns, and then got a chance to make their own. The free, one-day, 3-hour event provided attendees with wood popsicle sticks, paper,...

Santa Cruz County health officials on Tuesday morning announced the second death of a county resident who tested positive for COVID-19. The man in his late 60s died early Tuesday. He was hospitalized on April 9 with symptoms including fever, cough and fatigue. He had an...