News

WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency’s Public Health Division is inviting all wheelchair users, youth with disabilities, along with their families and friends to participate in the Wheelin’ BBall Community Kick-off this weekend.  The free event will be held Saturday from noon to 2pm at...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday fired Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez after a closed-session meeting that delayed the beginning of the public session by more than two hours. The decision came after a 4-3 vote, with trustees Jennifer Holm, Maria Orozco...

SANTA CRUZ—The man accused of killing a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy and trying to kill three other law enforcement officials and a civilian during a June 6 crime spree made his first court appearance Friday, but put off entering a plea until July...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville City Councilman Jimmy Dutra announced on Jan. 29 that he will run for the 4th District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. It will be the third time that Dutra, who is fresh off his stint as Watsonville’s mayor in 2021,...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) on Thursday discussed the future of the county’s rail line, and possibly setting it aside for future use while first focusing on building a bicycle and pedestrian path. In a report to the commission, RTC...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Housing Matters (HM), a local organization that aims to resolve homelessness, announced Feb. 24 that it is teaming up with the County of Santa Cruz to house 90 of the region’s most vulnerable residents. Housing Now is a new program that hopes to...

WATSONVILLE—Staff of Life grocery store has for a half-century been a backbone of healthy eating and living in Santa Cruz County, selling organic food and natural products long before those concepts hit the mainstream. Founders Richard Josephson and Gary Bascou launched the business as a...

ROYAL OAKS—Congressman Jimmy Panetta was on the Central Coast Thursday, touting two pandemic assistance programs he helped pass that will benefit agriculture workers and the industries that employ them. The Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program will provide $650 million in grants to food...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz area California Highway Patrol has brought aboard a new Captain, Aron Ching.  Born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands, Ching moved to California to pursue a career with the CHP and has been with the department for 23 years.  His new...