Local News

In about half a year, South County skating aficionados will have a new skate park to show off their skills. The work on the feature at Pinto Lake County Park kicked off Wednesday, and is expected to open next summer. The project was initiated by Novak...

A  73-year-old Santa Cruz man was struck by a car and killed early Friday morning on Highway 1 in Santa Cruz. The California Highway Patrol said the man, for unknown reasons, was walking on southbound Hwy 1, north of Soquel Avenue around 5am. CHP officers responded...

The local folkloric dance group Esperanza del Valle will celebrate its 45th anniversary on April 4, 5 and 6 at the Crocker Theater in Aptos. The program, titled “Espirítu de Mexico,” will feature live music with guest artists Nematatín de la Universidad Veracruzana and Mariachi...

JAPANESE CULTURE A group performs a traditional dance from Okinawa Saturday at the annual Japanese Cultural Fair at Mission Plaza Park in Santa Cruz Saturday.  Since its founding in 1986, the fair has opened a window for the community to deepen their awareness and understanding...

Since its inception in 2020, the Santa Cruz County Neighborhood Justice Program has held 351 conferences between people who commit low-level crimes and their victims. Of these, 319 have completed the requirements to which they agreed, with the others still in the process. And in doing...

A Christmas tree is dressed up with a Victorian-era dress at the Pajaro Valley Historical Association. A wealth of early day garb is part of the PVHA's exhibit where visitors are welcome to stop by and get a taste of earlier times in the...

For decades, voters on election day went to their respective polling places—roughly 160 in Santa Cruz County—where they would be handed a ballot for the candidates and races specific to their districts. It was a time-honored tradition, and—for one day—a community gathering spot, with many...

The number of people who died while homeless this year saw a sizable decline from last year, when Santa Cruz County honored 121 people at its annual Homeless Memorial. Still, the 75 chairs at the center of the cavernous Portuguese Hall in Santa Cruz—each empty...

Studio Judy G, an art venue in the heart of downtown Watsonville, is aiming for the exit.  Following an April 1 goodbye party owner Judy Gittelsohn describes as a “wake,” the gallery, workshop, classroom and art hub will close permanently. “I’m going into private practice,” she...