News

PAJARO—For more than 30 years, the Casa de la Cultura organization in Pajaro has held its annual Food and Gift Christmas Giveaway, offering families a chance to receive free presents, food, clothing and more during the holiday season. Sister Rosa Dolores Rodriguez, executive director of...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Since it was launched in December of last year, the County of Santa Cruz’s Neighborhood Courts Program (NCP) has rerouted 45 misdemeanor criminal cases away from the traditional justice system and out into the community.  A restorative justice-based program of the County District...

WATSONVILLE—The city of Watsonville and a local homeless union have come to an agreement that will dismantle the encampment on Bridge Street where some 25 people are currently staying. The two parties hammered out the terms of the agreement in a whirlwind series of telephonic...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Supervisors on Tuesday ratified an emergency declaration for the winter storms that occurred on Dec. 13. County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios made the initial declaration on Dec. 21. The decision will allow the county to receive state funding under...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—As students prepare to return to school on Jan. 4, districts across the county are offering families a tool to test their children for Covid-19 before they return. While not required for return to class, the tests are “highly recommended,”  Soquel Union Elementary...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) on Monday unanimously approved a plan to continue with virtual meetings for the coming year, as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 spreads and governing agencies across the state make similar moves. Agencies that are continuing to...

WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office deputies dismantled a homeless encampment on Riverside Road set up by a group that last month battled with the city of Watsonville over another camp on Bridge Street. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Keehn said that the department posted a 72-hour...

SCOTTS VALLEY—The California Highway Patrol has arrested two people they say shot at a CHP officer Tuesday night in Scotts Valley. Alexandria Luevanos, 41, of Berkeley, and Kristopher Payopay, 40, of Lathrop, were arrested after officers said they led them on a chase down Highway...

WATSONVILLE—Last week students at Cabrillo College plugged into an in-person study space at the community college’s Watsonville center.  Staged at the outdoor work area of the Solari Green Technology Center, the program offers students a space to hook up to Wi-Fi and campus Chrome books,...

The County of Santa Cruz Department of Public Works will install new stop signs at the intersection of Larkin Valley and White roads and Larkin Valley Road and Mar Monte Avenue that will convert the intersections to all-way stop-controlled intersections. The County will install the...