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CENTRAL COAST—Monterey and Santa Cruz counties were reporting the highest Covid-19 positivity rates in the Bay Area region Friday, according to data reported by the California Department of Public Health. The positivity rate in Monterey County was 23.2%. In Santa Cruz County it was 18.5%,...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—One week after firefighters contained the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, which scorched 86,509 acres and destroyed 1,565 structures in the Santa Cruz Mountains, county officials had a dire prediction for the coming winter months. Heavy rainfall unable to soak into the fire-damaged soil...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—On Tuesday Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County (SCFB) announced that its annual Holiday Food & Fund Drive (HFFD) raised the equivalent of 5.5 million meals—more than 1 million beyond its original goal. Prior to the pandemic HFFD co-chairs Megan Martinelli and...

Todd Guild California State Parks The best investment we make every year is our annual Golden Poppy pass, which allows entry to more than 100 of California’s state parks. With numerous parks within a short drive in Santa Cruz County – featuring mountains, deserts and beaches, to...

Firefighters from multiple agencies were busy with a Wednesday evening blaze off of Melody Lane in the outskirts of Watsonville. https://www.facebook.com/pajaronian/videos/2423488927972071/?__xts__=68.ARCqCv3ijRLsmVTzW2QsNxWROAnyRMAmbhOb7fWZhXImJFRNQtgejTw4epGRlLSp3lfRX9bjTe0q0RMu9HlWImg__c6Jk0J1XFHESJYYLYbZ8F4AJequGJ9f3bTZxg6Bvnv0iWthJmP_78y4uxr4fJjLV8rjkj6JuTn0BJzA4cvdzd6XXj3GTLeRpwXz_nUEl2VcpA4Eqaho9PQTzur810M1BG54J4IKBtwN9TKDX0vgmHKwqd1VevXd5BZZaOfsQ8w_XClA72FWpaVBOMriU-LOGN0wRB6VmKbX6MGT0bASfdKKlE4jb8SP-a8SOG32s_ikNnOKhA55TSoFw1OyXuuG2q-pRd-OXTE&__tn__=-R Firefighters doused the flame just before 7 p.m., putting an end to the large column of black smoke that could be seen for miles. The...

A man was killed Friday morning when he was shot multiple times on the 800 block of McKenzie Avenue. According to Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido, dispatchers received multiple 911 calls about gunshots being heard in the neighborhood at about 10am.    Officers responded and found a...

SANTA CRUZ—A woman who stole a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office cruiser and then struck a deputy in an attempt to escape arrest three years ago was sentenced Friday to 16 years in state prison. Jessica May Lowe, 30, has been held without bail in...

Labor Day Weekend is fast approaching, and many are looking to stock up on foods for barbecues and other outdoor gatherings. But this year is different, for both consumers and suppliers alike, and it has a lot to do with the current high price of...

Various Bay Area health officers are asking communities to keep their Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos celebrations small to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Traditional trick-or-treating and attending large parties are both considered high-risk activities, according to health officials, because it...