Sheriff’s Office, Cal Fire investigate Bayview Hotel fire
APTOS—Fire broke out in the historic Bayview Hotel Sunday afternoon.
Central Fire Battalion Chief Ryan Peters said a fast response from Central firefighters put a quick lid on the blaze inside the three-story landmark, which he described as a tinderbox.
“We kept it to one room...
Names released in Rodeway Inn deaths
WATSONVILLE—The man and woman who were found dead inside a van parked in the parking lot of the Rodeway Inn in Watsonville on March 8 have been identified as Nicholas Reagan, 29, and Barbara Reid, 64.
According to Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman...
Eco Farm keynote addresses food sovereignty for Indigenous communities
In 2014 Elizabeth Hoover, associate professor in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley, set out on a road trip across the U.S.
Hoover covered 20,000 miles over four months, visiting 29 different Indigenous communities and asking everyone she met one question: How do...
Senderos welcomes new executive director
SANTA CRUZ—Gabriela Cruz has been named executive director of Santa Cruz-based nonprofit Senderos, making her the first hired staff member after 20 years of being an all-volunteer-based organization.
Senderos, founded in 2001 by indigenous Oaxacan sisters Fe Silva-Robles and Dr. Nereida Robles Vasquez, was an...
‘A force of nature’: Land conservation pioneer Diane Porter Cooley dies
PAJARO VALLEY—Diane Porter Cooley, whose family history dates back to Santa Cruz County’s infancy, and whose conservation efforts of both farmland and forest helped build the underpinnings of the county’s environmental ideology—and reshape the way the nation viewed agricultural land protection—died Thursday in her...
Measure U extension placed on November ballot
WATSONVILLE—Should Watsonville expand outward in an effort to meet mounting housing and economic needs? Or will it continue to restrict its growth, and increase its housing density in favor of protecting every inch of the rich surrounding agricultural land?
These are the questions Watsonville voters...
County’s Juvenile Hall set for needed upgrades
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Probation Department is in the final stages of securing state funding for a major upgrade to the Juvenile Hall, a project county officials say will help better secure the facility, give youth offenders recreational activities and offer job skills...
Farmers Market store now open on East Lake
WATSONVILLE—A new business featuring a meat counter, a taqueria, fresh produce, a dairy section and a wide range of groceries recently opened on East Lake Avenue near Holohan Road.
The store, called Farmers Market, also boasts a panaderia—or bakery— that features freshly baked Mexican pastries...
Nominations for Be The Difference Awards open
The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County has opened the nomination period for the 15th Annual Be the Difference Awards. The awards honor the individuals, groups, nonprofits and businesses that transform Santa Cruz County through volunteerism.
People can share their stories of inspiration by nominating...
Stop signs coming for Larkin Valley
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...
Powerful storms clobber Central Coast
A string of strong winter storms slammed the Central Coast over the past several days, toppling power and communication lines, knocking down scores of...
