Supervisor Friend hosting tele-town hall to discuss farmworker protections
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend tonight will host a tele-town hall from 6-7pm with guest Tom AmRhein to talk about the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
AmRhein, the former president of the Farm Bureau and the current chair of...
Police taking ‘barbaric protest’ threats seriously
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police say they are taking seriously threats made on social media of a “barbaric protest” that is set to begin at the Overlook Shopping Center on Main Street at 5pm.
The garish yellow flier that circulated widely featured a drawing of George Floyd, who...
Restaurants, shops can operate outdoors with city approval
WATSONVILLE—Restaurants and retail stores in city limits can now operate outdoors thanks to an emergency order signed by City Manager Matt Huffaker on Friday.
Businesses looking to take advantage of the alfresco option would need to receive approval of a Temporary Covid-19 Encroachment Agreement from...
Gunman killed by police in SLO County
PASO ROBLES—The suspect who allegedly shot and killed a man and shot a San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputy early Wednesday was killed by police Thursday.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office identified the shooter as Mason James Lira, 26, a transient from the Monterey area.
Lira...
PVUSD faces grim post-Covid-19 budget
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday got a first look at its budget for the coming school year, which has taken a severe hit both by declining enrollment and the loss of revenue from the Covid-19 crisis.
PVUSD Chief Business...
Tattoo parlors, nail salons, other personal services OK to reopen Friday
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Massage therapy, nail salons, tattoo parlors and other personal services can reopen in Santa Cruz County on Friday, the county announced Monday.
The county said those businesses should follow state guidance released by the California Department of Public Health June 12 which requires...
Officials hope guidelines slow virus’ spread on Father’s Day
WATSONVILLE—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday updated its recommendations for personal and social activities, giving people a brief playbook of how they can lessen their chance of contracting the novel coronavirus while dining at restaurants, using gyms and attending gatherings.
Though health...
Weekend blaze injures one | About Town
I covered a fire Saturday night in Santa Cruz where flames tore through the roof of an occupied shed. By the time firefighters arrived at the home, at the corner of San Juan Avenue at Roxas Street just before 9pm, flames were gushing about...
Faith, community leaders praise tax break for undocumented workers included in state budget
Faith and community leaders with the California Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) celebrated a victory Tuesday after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a budget which includes an expansion of the California Earned Income Tax Credit (Cal EITC) to undocumented workers with young children.
While not a full...
Santa Cruz County’s Covid-19 cases see steady rise
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County health officials identified 37 new Covid-19 cases—the county’s largest single-day jump since the virus started its spread—on Monday, increasing the number of new cases over the last eight days to 142.
There are 216 active cases in the county, and...
Man and daughter die at Garrapata State Beach
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a man and his 7-year old daughter died at Garrapata State Beach Nov. 14 after being swept...















