Local News

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Karen Osmundson has held her Area III seat since 2004, and has survived challenges in four elections and garnered support of educators districtwide.  But this year will mark the end of her tenure. While she said she plans to remain...

SANTA CRUZ— The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an $874 million budget for the coming year that includes cuts and position reductions to every department in the county. According to County Budget Manager Christina Mowrey, the reductions include furloughs of 5-10%,...

BOULDER CREEK—A San Jose man was arrested early Friday on suspicion of DUI and multiple weapons violations after he reportedly drove past a “Road Closed” barrier in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The California Highway Patrol said Christopher Campbell, 44, was driving north on Highway 9...

By Jake Pierce, Good Times News Editor Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that California’s firefighting crews are now trying to suppress 560 fires, most of them stemming from dry lightning strikes that first began Aug. 16. Statewide, 771,000 acres—an area the size of Rhode Island—have burned...

One facet of the stay-at-home, and work-from-home coronavirus ordeal is an uptick in home gardening and landscaping. With extra time spent around the home, some folks are putting more time, and money, into the land that surrounds their homes. “They’re stuck at home more and...

Do you have a recent photo you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to [email protected] or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the name...

WATSONVILLE—A newly-hired Watsonville Police Officer was arrested Aug. 20 in an off-duty incident in South Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Tyler Leroy Stephens is accused of physically assaulting a man and vandalizing two slot machines.   The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said that Stephens called 911, saying he...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—With a continuing housing crisis on the horizon due to Covid-19, residents from nearly every background and region of the county are facing dire straits.  But perhaps the hardest hit have been farmworkers—many of whom were struggling long before the pandemic hit.  “ are...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center is requesting that all tourists and visitors occupying local overnight accommodations such as hotels, motels and vacation rentals leave immediately to free up shelter capacity. Local shelters are near capacity. The Emergency Operations Center is working...

UPDATE (5:16pm, Aug. 20) Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said the City of Scotts Valley is expected to be evacuated later Thursday evening. UPDATE (3:26pm, Aug. 20) The City of Scotts Valley west of Highway 17, including the downtown area, Paradise Park and the...