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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz Gives, an annual holiday fundraising campaign organized by Good Times (GT) and the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County (VSCC), is accepting donations through midnight Dec. 31. Choose from 40 local nonprofit organizations to donate to at santacruzgives.org. Each nonprofit has...

AROMAS—A Watsonville man was arrested Monday after an illegal butane honey oil lab at his residence exploded, seriously injuring a woman. Jason Mendez, 22, was charged with manufacturing a controlled substance, arson and other drug-related charges. He was not in custody at Monterey County Jail...

CENTRAL COAST—An estimated 10 million people took to the skies over the Christmas holiday despite being urged by health officials, law agencies and politicians around the country, and locally, to stay at home and not continue to spread the coronavirus through gatherings. Despite regional lockdowns...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—More than one million people have so far received a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control.  These “frontline” workers in tier 1a of the state’s protocol include health care workers, first responders and other people who interact directly with patients.  In...

Editor's note: This story has been updated from an earlier version. WATSONVILLE—Nearly four dozen residents of Watsonville Nursing Center have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in a new outbreak at the local skilled nursing facility. According to a post on its website, WNC Administrator Rae...

WATSONVILLE—A line was already forming in front of 7-Eleven on Main Street before 11am on Christmas Eve as people eagerly awaited Santa Claus—and pizza. Sherry Dang and Kirk di Cicco, owners of local franchised 7-Elevens, handed out 500 free pizzas at the store, plus 200...

Editor's note: This story was updated from a previous version. WATSONVILLE—A fire at an apartment complex on Clifford Avenue late Christmas Eve displaced 20 people and severely damaged four adjoining units, Watsonville Fire Battalion Chief Kirt Vojvoda said. According to Vojvoda, the blaze began at about...

Last night I went by Jack’s Burgers in downtown Santa Cruz to grab a bag of take-out burgers and fries. In the line in front of me was a tall fellow fully decked out in a Christmas suit, like nothing I’ve come close to...

WATSONVILLE—A little more than a year ago, Perla Pineda said she had a thought in the back of her mind that would not let her get a good night’s rest. “I felt like something else was calling me,” she said. She remembers waking up in the...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Second Harvest Food Bank has been facing an unprecedented amount of need throughout the county since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in March. They have more than doubled their weekly donations, averaging about 1.2 million pounds per month in distribution. The Holiday Food...