Firefighters get first ‘jump’ on CZU Complex fires
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS—Seven days into the battle against the CZU August Lightning Complex fires, Cal Fire officials announced Saturday morning that they were able to get their first “jump” on the growing blaze in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Although the fire overnight grew to 63,000...
Evacuation center at Lakeview Middle School opens
WATSONVILLE—An additional evacuation center for Santa Cruz County residents fleeing the CZU August Lightning Complex fires opened Friday night at Lakeview Middle School in Watsonville.
The center is a partnership between the County of Santa Cruz, the City of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley Unified...
Deputies arrest 5 suspected looters as CZU Lightning Complex fires grow
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Friday arrested five people suspected of looting evacuated homes on Fall Creek Drive, a small community in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Felton.
Jose Gandarilla, Susana Luna, Crystal Araujo, Sara Loretz and Crystle Parstch-Lucchesi face numerous felony...
Several fires force mass evacuations, char thousands of acres in Santa Cruz mountains
UPDATE (Aug. 21, 6:33am)
Firefighters and law enforcement officers were pulled away for three separate rescue incidents to save residents who were trying to protect their homes from the CZU August Lightning Complex fires, which have now charred 50,000 acres, or roughly 78 square miles,...
Osmundson to retire from PVUSD school board
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...
County’s budget cuts to Sheriff’s Office eased
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%,...
Man driving in evacuated Santa Cruz mountains arrested on DUI, multiple weapons charges
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...
Newsom says California fires have charred 771K acres
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...
Fires, pandemic present new challenges for gardeners
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...
Traveling insects | Photo Gallery
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...
Woman dies in head-on crash in Felton
A Felton woman died early Saturday morning in a head-on crash on Highway 9 north of Felton.
The California Highway Patrol said the 80-year-old woman...
