News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Starting Monday, thousands of students across Santa Cruz County will be out of school for at least one week after county education officials closed every school in response to the growing threat from coronavirus. But teachers and school employees will be required to...

CALIFORNIA—Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide “stay at home” order on Thursday evening, bringing California’s nearly 40 million residents in line with shelter-in-place orders recently issued by Santa Cruz and Monterey county officials. The directive goes into effect this evening, Newsom said at a press...

GILROY—This year’s Gilroy Garlic Festival has been canceled, festival organizers announced late Friday afternoon. The announcement came as governmental jurisdictions, businesses, educators and residents throughout California are severely restricting their activities in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In a brief email, organizers said the 40-year-old festival...

WATSONVILLE—Former Watsonville Police Deputy Chief Terry Traub died at his Watsonville home on March 20. He was 55. After working at Scotts Valley Police Department for around nine years, Traub switched over to WPD in 1997 when he was hired by then-Chief Terry Medina.  Traub climbed...

All 280 California State Parks have been closed to all day use visitors and all vehicles are being turned away during the COVID-19 outbreak. • The first case of COVID-19 was announced in Santa Cruz County on March 6 and now — three weeks later —...

Today is April Fool’s Day and yes, living up to the adage: April showers bring May flowers; there are showers in the forecast. First, however, are a string of warm, sunny days predicted by meteorologists at the National Weather Service of Monterey. Showers could...

A single door was propped open, with a long table placed just inside of Santa Cruz Cider Company’s Apple City Tasting Room Monday afternoon.  A sign directed customers to the makeshift pickup window, which the owners have set up during the countywide shelter-in-place order. Natalie Henz,...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) on March 11 announced that it was canceling its eighth annual festival, which was scheduled to begin the next day, due to growing concerns of COVID-19. The decision came less than a week before the county and state issued shelter-in-place...

A worker from the city's Public Works department was taking advantage of the light traffic on Tuesday, patching pot holes along Beach Road. • Today is Jackie Robinson Day. Many sports organizations are planning online celebrations of #42 of the Brooklyn Dodgers on the 73-year...