Local News

WATSONVILLE—Francisco Elcanto schleps a five-gallon bucket into the back seat of his car. A peek under the lid reveals an assortment of neatly packed cleaning supplies. Today, all he needs is some cleaning supplies, which he is borrowing from the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center.  The...

WATSONVILLE—A woman was injured when a fire roared through her mobile home Thursday at Meadows Manor, 49 Blanca Lane. Michelle Pulido, spokeswoman for Watsonville Police, said two good Samaritans burst through the front door of the single-wide home after they spotted flames and smoke barreling...

WATSONVILLE—The Transit Equity/Rosa Parks’ Day Family Fair will unfold in downtown Watsonville Saturday at Watsonville Plaza. Attendees will be able to test out e-bicycles with Royal Dutch Gazelle e-Bicycles, meet local organizations like Regeneracion, the Community Bike Collective, Ecology Action, and Friends of the Rail...

WATSONVILLE—The 29-year-old woman who died after she was struck by a car on Jan. 6 in Watsonville has been identified as Aubrey Newell, said Ashley Keehn, spokeswoman for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff/Coroner’s Office. Newell was walking across Main Street near Rodriguez Street in a...

APTOS—Two months after the Cabrillo College Board of Trustees approved a plan to rename the institution, it is seeking proposals from the public. The decision to change the name came after several meetings and public forums that involved delving deep into the history of...

APTOS—Cabrillo College’s gallery in Aptos has opened its first exhibition of the year, “Dialogues,” featuring abstract artwork by Jonathan Parker and Stephanie Robison. Parker’s paintings are composed of shapes cut from painted or colored fabrics sewn together. Robison combines carved stone with soft, needle-felted wool....

BOULDER CREEK—The 18-year-old who was killed Saturday at a party at a Boulder Creek residence—Rowan Parham—was described as a man who loved his friends and family, a sentiment that was returned by the people who knew him. “Anyone that knew Rowan, knew that he was...

WATSONVILLE—After a series of atmospheric river storms caused flooding that displaced hundreds from their homes, Second Harvest Food Bank saw an increased need, and put out a call for assistance. And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints answered that call, bringing two large...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A new campaign to showcase the environmental benefits of transit, encourage bus ridership and protect Santa Cruz County’s natural resources, kicked off recently in Santa Cruz.  “One Ride at a Time” launched a pair of METRO’s buses that are emblazoned with massive photograph...

SANTA CRUZ—The top spellers in the annual Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee were announced Monday following the one-day event at UC Santa Cruz Saturday. Bayview Elementary student Liesl Hildebrand claimed first place in the Elementary Division and Gateway School student Sky Zeltser placed first in...