Local News

With the first day of winter coming on Dec. 21, the fear of drought is once again in the air.

WATSONVILLE—About four dozen people were on hand to celebrate the groundbreaking of an 80-unit affordable housing complex off Atkinson Lane on Nov. 18. In his opening remarks, MidPen Housing President and CEO Matt Franklin said that creating affordable housing communities like Pippin Orchards II is...

SANTA CRUZ—Far West Fungi mushroom farm of Moss Landing is branching out. They recently opened their first-ever store in downtown Santa Cruz.  In the works for the past two years, the new spot will feature about 16 varieties of fresh mushrooms, dozens of dried mushrooms,...

Zeke Fraser has a lot on his desk, both figuratively and literally. He briefly stepped away from his paperwork-lined desk at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds late Wednesday morning for a quick chat about the upcoming fair, which opens on Wednesday. Vendors and performers were...

Note: This article has been updated to include information released by Capitola Police Department. CAPITOLA—A man robbed an armored truck stationed in front of the Bay Federal Credit Union in Capitola Wednesday.  The suspect, armed with a gun, reportedly approached a Gardaworld armored truck around 11:20am...

A man was shot Wednesday afternoon on Soquel Drive near Winkle Avenue at about 4:15pm at the Emerald Bay Apartments.

WATSONVILLE—Mystery novelist and former Managing Editor of the Pajaronian Michael Wallace has released the eighth installment of his ongoing mystery series. “True to You in My Way” follows Wallace’s recurring main character Quill Gordon, a private investigator who was brought to the small Sierra Nevada...

Patrick and Teresa Royan were living in Los Gatos when they first discovered Pleasant Valley, a rural area in Aptos permeated with rolling hills, orchards, vineyards and pastures. The couple had been looking for a place to settle relatively close to the beach yet...

Fundraiser benefits Monarch Services The Stronger Together Fundraiser for Monarch Services-Servicios Monarca, taking place Oct. 22 at the Aptos High School field, is an event meant to honor survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. The fundraiser begins at 9am with a 1K fun...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a plan to allow customers in marijuana dispensaries to smoke onsite in so-called cannabis lounges. They also green-lighted a three-year pilot program to allow limited sales and consumption at marijuana farms. Both proposals brought no-votes from...