A life, preserved: In memory of famed local taxidermist Richard Gurnee
Watsonville native Richard Gurnee, who revolutionized the field of scientific taxidermy by pioneering a freeze-drying technique still employed worldwide, died in October after a brief illness. He was 87.
Gurnee graduated from Watsonville High School in 1954, and then studied zoology at Humboldt State University.
But...
Aptos burglary case ends in mistrial
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office will retry the case of a man who was shot as he allegedly broke into an Aptos residence to burglarize it.
The trial of Damien Welch ended in mistrial on Nov. 1 when a single juror did...
PV High tech club breaks barrier
A newly-formed club at Pajaro Valley High School dedicated to technology became the first high school group to attend the UC Santa Cruz Hackathon from Jan. 19-21, an event that was created for college students.
Open Streets returns to Santa Cruz
Open Streets Santa Cruz returns to West Cliff Drive on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., creating a pop-up street park along Santa Cruz’s iconic coastline.
Santa Cruz County: We will stand with immigrant community
A large group of county officials and nonprofit leaders gathered at the Santa Cruz County Government Building Thursday to show support for the immigrant community in the wake of Donald Trump’s rise to the U.S. Presidency.
Trump has promised mass deportations of the nation’s immigrant...
New program aims to bring students back to Cabrillo
WATSONVILLE—Cabrillo College’s Watsonville Center has started up a new program that aims to welcome back and support students who left the school during the pandemic.
Ganas is a two-semester program encouraging previous students, especially those in South County, to return and resume their studies. Students...
County’s Main Jail reports Covid-19 surge
SANTA CRUZ—A total of 55 inmates and seven guards at Santa Cruz County Main Jail have tested positive for Covid-19, Sheriff’s spokeswoman Ashley Keehn announced Thursday.
None of the cases have resulted in serious illness or hospitalizations, and a majority are asymptomatic or are experiencing...
Teen arrested with sawed-off shotgun in vehicle
Capitola Police arrested a 17 year old male after they found a sawed-off shotgun in his car during a traffic stop.
According to CPD, officers saw the juvenile driving a pickup on Capitola Road on a license that was suspended for prior hit-and-run crashes.
During the...
County pilot program aims for unified approach to homelessness
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a project designed to integrate clinical, mental health and housing services to help the county’s population of homeless people with mental illness and substance use disorders
The Mental Health Services Act Innovation Plan is...
County releases Thanksgiving Covid guidelines
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Health officials from eight Bay Area counties on Monday issued a set of guidelines created to keep families safe from Covid-19 during the holidays. The recommendations cover travel and gatherings.
The health officers from the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco,...
Contreras tapped to lead San Luis Coastal Unified
Two and a half years after taking the helm of Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Superintendent Heather Contreras will be leaving for a new...























