Local News

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday sweeping new changes to relax Covid-19 health standards that could have a dramatic impact on speeding up a gradual reopening of businesses, services, social behavior and even some major league sports—minus the crowds. While some governors advise a "slow...

WATSONVILLE—The Covid-19 community testing site at Ramsay Park in Watsonville is now open to all residents of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. First opened to frontline healthcare workers, first responders and employees working in essential services and roles, the site will now test everyone, including...

The Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County on Monday will begin accepting applications for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants program. Announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom in mid-April, the program will provide roughly 150,000 undocumented adults a one-time payment of $500 per...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tabled a motion to make changes to the county’s animal welfare rules after organizations that run animal-based events expressed concern about the rules’ effects. The new rules would, among other things, have prohibited using live...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a plan to give additional space to its newest charter school. Watsonville Prep School—which already occupies seven portable classrooms at E.A. Hall Middle School—will now take another four rooms at Ann Soldo Elementary...

WATSONVILLE—Nearly every business, school and agency in Santa Cruz County has been affected by the outbreak of Covid-19—but perhaps the hardest hit have been nonprofit organizations. With stay-at-home orders still mostly in place, nonprofits cannot hold fundraisers. And as much of their government funding and...

WATSONVILLE—After working a long shift picking strawberries and greens, dozens of farmworkers and their families received the royal treatment thanks to a new program from El Pájaro Community Development Corporation. Called the Farmworker’s Family Dinner, the initiative treated 38 families—roughly 230 people—to meals from El...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Deep cleaning is now routine at Santa Cruz METRO to not only keep their fleet on the road, but to assure riders that busses are squeaky clean. Every day since early March, before the first person in Santa Cruz County was diagnosed with...

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It’ll be a few years before fans will see any action from the Cabrillo College football team.  The community college’s Board of Trustees held a special virtual meeting Tuesday evening and came to a unanimous decision to suspend football operations for at least two years. Cabrillo...