News

WATSONVILLE—The local nonprofit created to purchase and run Watsonville Community Hospital has won its bid to buy the hospital’s operations, a move that canceled a planned auction and advanced the matter to a sale hearing on Wednesday. According to documents filed with the Northern District...

APTOS—Cabrillo College’s students will return to in-person instruction, about one month after beginning the spring semester with a distance learning model. Cabrillo President and Superintendent Matt Wetstein said the decision comes as the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 declines and as the Omicron...

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...

CALIFORNIA—In recent years, residents of the Golden State have been hit with another unwelcome event: repetitive power outages. The outages that once occasionally darkened our homes have become almost routine year-round occurrences, and Californians have been clamoring for Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E)...

WATSONVILLE—The 18th Annual Fairgrounds Foundation Crab Feed will return March 5, and once again it will be a drive-thru event.  The annual feed is one of the foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year. All profits of the event will go directly back to the fairgrounds...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new ordinance which, if given final approval on March 8, will impose a one-year “cooling off” period during which former County employees would be prohibited from engaging in lobbying activities for...

SOQUEL—The Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs' Association (DSA) has offered a $100,000 “challenge” grant to help fund a memorial for Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was killed on duty on June 6, 2020. The grant is the largest donation in the organization’s history. The DSA now...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Feb. 12 marked a day of free smiles for 48 low-income children in Santa Cruz County thanks to Dientes’ celebration of Give Kids A Smile Day.  This annual day of free care, which has grown to serve more than 300,000 children each year...

A crew from Watsonville Public Works & Utilities installs new self-cleaning restrooms on the Union Street side of the City Plaza Wednesday. The long-awaited restrooms were delivered Tuesday morning. They will feature two stalls and are expected to be completed and open to the...

Santa Cruz is one of four counties in the state to try out pesticide notification pilot projects. For a certain class of pesticides known as California Restricted Materials, growers must submit notices of intent to the county agricultural commissioner’s office 24 hours before application.  The...