Santa Cruz, Monterey counties will lift mask mandates on Feb. 16
In alignment with the state, 11 Bay Area counties, including Monterey and Santa Cruz, and the City of Berkeley will lift universal mask requirements for most indoor public settings on Feb. 16.
Unvaccinated individuals over the age of 2 will continue to be required to...
Year in Review: 2020, a year marred by Covid-19, wildfires
It is nearly impossible to talk about 2020 and not mention Covid-19, as the pesky novel coronavirus overtook our lives in March and has not yet loosened its grip.
However, there were other stories, events and tragedies that managed to wholly affect our community even...
Dead body found on Manresa Beach
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating after a woman’s body was found on Manresa Beach Friday morning.
Crews begin replacing Bridge Street median
The days are numbered for the notoriously green median on Bridge Street.
Pride in school runs high for leading Pajaro Valley High seniors
WATSONVILLE—Leaders of this year’s 274 Pajaro Valley High School seniors say the class of 2020 will be remembered for its unwavering school pride and its crazed support of athletics.
Dennar Ocampo and Natalia Arroyo were at the forefront of both.
“A lot of people would say,...
New year, new laws: A rundown of some notable ones
This article covers a handful of the more notable laws that take effect in 2019.
Santa Cruz County Fair efforts blooming
Every year, as the fleeting summer days pass, staff and volunteers at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds prepare for the coming fair, which is at once a community celebration of the region’s agricultural bounty and an embrace of autumn.
The first step in the Herculean...
Woman arrested after reported kidnapping, high-speed chase
SANTA CRUZ—A woman was taken into custody Monday following a high-speed chase that originated in San Jose and came to a safe end in downtown Santa Cruz.
California Highway Patrol officer Sam Coutney said an elderly man was sitting in a Ford transport van outside...
Watsonville Film Festival 2020 cancelled
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) announced Wednesday that it will be cancelling its 2020 festival, which was scheduled to start tomorrow and run through Sunday.
A letter from WFF Executive Director Consuelo Alba and the Board of Directors said that the festival has been cancelled...
WPD: woman stole thousands from Watsonville business
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police on Thursday arrested a Salinas woman accused of embezzling more than $75,000 from a Watsonville business located on Hangar Way.
Julie Brooks, 50, faces felony grand theft charges. She was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on $100,000 bail, but was not in...
County remembers people who died while homeless
The number of people who died while homeless this year saw a sizable decline from last year, when Santa Cruz County honored 121 people...