Local News

WATSONVILLE—The simultaneous ringing of bells in sister cities across the United States and Japan on Wednesday marked 75 years of peace since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The event at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple was part of an inaugural initiative of the newly created...

SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Thursday responded to a call for an “individual in crisis,” and during a traffic stop on the 1200 block of Soquel Avenue discovered what appeared to be a pipe bomb in the person’s car, according to Sheriff’s...

SANTA CRUZ—A recent clash between a Santa Cruz restaurant owner and a mobile hot dog vendor has drawn countywide attention, forcing one restaurant to close its doors and prompting demonstrations that have drawn hundreds of supporters. According to Santa Cruz Police spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke, the...

WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville woman was arrested Wednesday for attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a 31-year-old woman multiple times Sunday night. Delilah Yasin, 41, was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, jail records showed. After working the case for two days, investigators identified...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Amidst the ongoing health crisis, essential workers who do not own cars have remained reliant on public transportation and carpooling—two options that are both limited and not always safe. Bike Santa Cruz County (BSCC) hopes to alleviate that dependence. In June, the organization...

TARMO HANNULA I saw another large temporary chalk art drawing in front of the Main Branch of the Watsonville Public Library last week. The point of the artwork is to draw attention to the ongoing 2020 Census. Several such art installations have been created around...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Two Santa Cruz County residents died Tuesday due to complications from the novel Coronavirus, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel announced during a Wednesday press conference. The fatalities bring the county’s death toll to six. Newel said Covid-19 was the leading factor...

WATSONVILLE—A man suspected of robbing the Walgreens store in Watsonville was arrested in Oakland Sunday. Watsonville police said the suspect, Elben Ramos, 26, entered the pharmacy at Walgreens on Freedom Boulevard around 7am on Saturday. He jumped over the counter and filled a bag with...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a temporary ordinance that will allow law enforcement officials to issue tickets to people violating county health orders, including not wearing a face covering where it is required. Under the new county...

TARMO HANNULA A dead humpback whale washed ashore at Rio Del Mar State Beach Monday. California State Parks Ranger Joseph Carr Ritchie said the male humpback was about 13 years old. Researchers are looking into the cause of death while California State Parks is looking...