Supervisors reaffirm support for LGBTQ+ community
The Santa Cruz County Supervisors Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to reaffirm the county’s support for its LGBTQ+ residents and for women.
While the county already has a resolution to do so on its books, the move is in reaction to the hardline stance by...
Man deemed sexually violent predator arrested
A man considered a sexual predator was arrested Wednesday morning in Capitola when Capitola Police and U.S. Marshals served a federal search warrant on the 1100 block of Sutherland Lane.Â
George Paul Bishop was wanted for failing to register as a violent child sex offender,...
Sheriff’s deputies nab campus intruder
Santa Cruz County Sheriffs deputies on Thursday arrested a man after he allegedly entered the campuses of two Watsonville schools and banged on several doors.
Michael Rocha, 31, was charged with entering school grounds without registering, disrupting school activities and being under the influence of...
Study shows ‘heavy concentrations’ of heavy metals in soil after Moss Landing Fire
One day after a group of Santa Cruz County residents collected soil samples from the areas impacted by the Jan. 16 battery storage facility fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant to test for heavy metals, a San Jose State University Professor released the...
One dead, one injured in Watsonville house fire
A woman died and a man suffered major injuries Sunday night when fire broke out in their single-story home on the 500 block of Cedar Street in Watsonville.
Firefighters were quick to arrive on the scene at the corner of Bridge Street in Bay Village,...
Watsonville Police Department welcomes two new officers
Watsonville Police Department brought on two new officers to the force last week, a move that brings the department closer to filling its roster.
Lizandro Godinez and Samuel Vazquez recently completed the six-month police academy.
“We are proud of their accomplishments and excited to see them...
County seeking artists for Juvenile Hall Public Art Project
The Santa Cruz County Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services has sent out a call to area artists to create a public artwork for new and renovated areas of the Juvenile Hall Facility in Felton.
The Multi-Use Recreation and Program Facility (Gym) will...
Critics decry pesticide rule as too lenient: ‘Why use it?’
The Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) held a public hearing Jan. 16 at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas to address a new draft regulation for Telone, a pesticide also known by the chemical name 1,3-dichloropropene.
Protesters say the regulations proposed by the DPR allow...
A new way to view crime: Neighborhood Justice Program helps victims, offenders mediate
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...
‘Seahawk’ battery storage facility slated for Watsonville draws concern
A new battery storage facility slated for a lot on the outskirts of Watsonville has some residents on edge after a Jan. 16 fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant, which sent a thick column of black smoke into the air and closed Highway...
Sheriff’s office identifies teen whose remains were found in 1995
Skeletal remains found in 1995 off of Highway 129 near Aromas have been identified as 13-year-old Laura O’Malley from Queens, New York, the Santa...
