News

Several candidates tossed their hats in the ring in early 2024 when Zach Friend announced his departure from the District 2 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. The top two vote-getters were Kim De Serpa, with 25.2% of the vote, and Brown...

APTOS—Two months after the Cabrillo College Board of Trustees approved a plan to rename the institution, it is seeking proposals from the public. The decision to change the name came after several meetings and public forums that involved delving deep into the history of...

I see the rail trail system is moving forward off of Ohlone Parkway. I’ve ridden my bike along a nearly complete section of the trail on the westside of Santa Cruz where it flanks the railroad track near Almar Street. It’s great. Plenty wide,...

WATSONVILLE—Since 2017, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) has partnered with nonprofit El Sistema Santa Cruz/Pajaro Valley to bring music education and performance to local students. During the pandemic, El Sistema has continued its work both virtually and in-person, with small cohorts of students signed...

WATSONVILLE—For the second year running, a group from Watsonville’s Filipino community is releasing a calendar highlighting family histories.  The “Watsonville is in the Heart” calendar is part of the Tobera Project, an ongoing project aiming to preserve, honor and celebrate that history, especially those of...

SALINAS—The County of Monterey on Tuesday joined several neighboring jurisdictions in approving a prohibition on no-fault evictions through the end of the year. It was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors and went into effect immediately. The prohibition comes on the heels of multiple reports...

Santa Cruz Fire Department investigators believe that a fire that broke out Tuesday inside the former Garfield Park Church was deliberately set, the department announced on Facebook. According to SCFD, firefighters responded to multiple calls of smoke and flames seen at the now-closed church—also known...

Santa Cruz County officials said residents should expect to experience rotating power outages of 1-3 hours until 10pm tonight, as the state's energy grid continues to struggle with increased demand because of the ongoing heatwave. The California Independent System Operator (ISO) early Monday issued a...

WATSONVILLE—More than 40 school bus drivers who conducted a “sick-out” on Oct. 21 and 24 are back at work, and Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez has called the action “unlawful,” saying it violated the recent CSEA Collective Bargaining Agreement. “We deeply regret...

WATSONVILLE—According to Santa Cruz County’s Health Services Agency, as of June 22, more than 146,500 county residents (that is, about 53%) have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. And more than 172,000 residents (62%) have received at least one shot. The numbers are promising. However, rates...