Local News

A new traffic signal is nearing completion at the corner of Sydney Avenue at Freedom Boulevard in Watsonville. 

Hundreds of people packed city and county meeting chambers throughout the day on Tuesday to ask local elected leaders to pass resolutions demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The action resulted in the Santa Cruz City Council creating a special meeting to discuss...

Aromas Holiday Festival is Nov. 18-19 Aromas Hills Artisans is inviting the public to the Aromas Holiday Festival, taking place 10am-4pm Nov. 18-19 at the Aromas Grange, 400 Rose Ave. This year’s show will include handmade artwork and creations, and artists will be present to show...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously appointed Undersheriff Chris Clark to take the agency’s lead role, a decision that was backed by several members of the public and the leaders of numerous agencies that addressed the board. This included both Santa...

The National Association of Counties (NACo) on July 21 voted unanimously to urge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to change the way it funds flood control projects for economically disadvantaged communities. Currently, the ACOE uses a 1:1 benefit-cost ratio when figuring the feasibility...

Before hundreds of people began a march Monday morning in downtown Santa Cruz to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a solemn hush fell over the crowd as political chanting briefly ceased and the good-natured whooping died down.  “Finally,” 6-year-old Brianna Hodgkins said, sitting astride...

Elkhorn Slough, the vast natural area south of Watsonville that serves as a transition zone between land and sea and is home to myriad species of birds—as well as water and land animals—got a boost last week with a $6 million award. The money from...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved an emergency declaration for the damages sustained in the storm surges on Dec. 28 and 30. County officials estimate that the waves, which inundated Capitola Village, slammed Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf and wreaked havoc...

A Santa Cruz County justice program that places reconciliation over punishment has helped more than 240 people keep criminal convictions off their record since its inception in 2020, with just one case of recidivism. Now, the Santa Cruz County Neighborhood Courts program is seeking volunteers...