News

By Jake Pierce, Good Times News Editor SCOTTS VALLEY—The number of acres burned by the CZU Lightning Complex fire is up to 81,137, local Cal Fire Deputy Chief Jonathan Cox told reporters Wednesday night. So far, investigators have found that the fire has destroyed 579 structures...

A Watsonville man suspected of several armed robberies was arrested Friday after a dramatic chase that ended with a crash involving seven vehicles on San Andreas Road.

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved the Safe Routes to Schools plan, a 472-page document that outlines numerous potential pedestrian and traffic safety projects at 15 Watsonville schools. Also known as the Complete Streets to School Planning Project,...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Monday marked the one year anniversary of the CZU Lightning Complex Fires that raged through 86,509 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, killed one man, burned close to 1,500 buildings and stacked up a tab of $2.4 billion in insured...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville man accused of killing his wife and leaving her body in a vehicle in Santa Cruz was arrested early Tuesday morning after crossing the border into the U.S. at San Ysidro, Watsonville police said. Cesar Hernandez, 47, fled to Mexico, where he is...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gave the final stamp of approval for lounges attached to marijuana dispensaries, where people can legally smoke what they buy. The proposal passed 3-2, with supervisors Monica Martinez and Kim De Serpa dissenting. Supporters predict that so-called...

WATSONVILLE—The Monterey Bay Birding Festival has been mothballed for the second year in a row due to pandemic complications. Despite most levels of society, from schools, businesses, services and government, edging back toward normal operations, the festival—in its 17th year—couldn’t get off the ground. “The festival...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved placing a moratorium on new vacation rentals countywide, along with several other rules meant to limit the growing industry. The trustees will consider on June 30 whether to extend the 45-day moratorium. Supervisor John...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 14 agreed to allow the county to join a lawsuit that would stop the federal government from issuing leases for fossil fuel extraction within its borders. The lawsuit would in essence help preserve local...

MONTEREY COUNTY—Monterey County agriculture’s gross production value bounced back by 4.8% in 2021 to just over $4.1 billion, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that also resulted in supply chain shortages. This increase represents a $190 million rise from 2020, when the gross production value was...