Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—More than one million people have so far received a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control.  These “frontline” workers in tier 1a of the state’s protocol include health care workers, first responders and other people who interact directly with patients.  In...

SANTA CRUZ—An unsanctioned homeless camp in Santa Cruz has reopened, this time with a new name, increased security and a set of rules designed to reduce crime and drug use. Now called Camp Phoenix – after the mythological bird that rose anew out of its...

WATSONVILLE—As a new teacher, Brogan Dahl knows how difficult it can be to live in Santa Cruz County on an educator’s salary. She also has experienced the frustration of wanting to bring creativity into her lessons while under the limiting mantle of a strict...

A large mosaic mural was installed this week on an exterior wall at Tabasa Gardens, a new apartment complex at 1482 Freedom Blvd. The 10-by-30-foot mosaic was created by Watsonville artist Kathleen Crocetti and a team of volunteers at Muzzio Mosaic Arts Center. The topic...

WATSONVILLE—Every day in Pajaro Valley Unified School District, thousands of kids take the bus to school—about 25% of the district’s student population—along 59 routes. It is a ritual that plays out in communities around the globe for students who live too far from their...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to repeal and completely replace the county’s ordinances governing wireless communication facilities that allow coverage for cell phones and the internet. The new rules essentially speed up the permitting process...

California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF) has advice for farmers who have accumulated huge heaps of used plastic, specifically used drip system tape and hoop house film. CMSF Water Quality Program Coordinator Jazmine Mejia-Muñoz met via Zoom with Pajaro Valley residents concerned about the massive amounts...

PAJARO—Scores of volunteers were on hand Monday morning at Marinovich Cold Storage in Pajaro, preparing to hand out gifts to hundreds of local families at Casa de la Cultura’s annual Christmas giveaway. The Casa de la Cultura organization aims to support low-income residents, especially farmworkers,...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Chief of Police David Honda will retire in July after serving five years as the city’s highest-ranking law enforcement official, he announced Thursday morning. In a statement through the department’s social media, Honda said his time with Watsonville Police Department was a “privilege and...