News

When the Santa Cruz Mountains caught fire in August after a lightning storm passed through the Central Coast and greater Bay Area, almost every community was forced to evacuate the area. Many of those evacuees were left wondering whether their homes and businesses—their life’s...

WATSONVILLE—Two men were arrested in Watsonville in an eight-hour block Friday on suspicion of sexually abusing minors. The two cases are unrelated. Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said Fermin Vega, 70, was taken into custody by WPD detectives after three victims “courageously came forward”...

SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel on Friday issued a health order requiring all people to wear a face-covering when indoors in public spaces and when visiting or hosting people from outside of their households, regardless of vaccination status.  The order goes...

At the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Friday, a stilt-walking instructor named sCary McHuge was putting up a giant tent-like structure to offer shade and relaxation at a makeshift campsite dubbed the Offcenter Camp Cafe.

SANTA CRUZ—A Santa Cruz man was arrested Saturday night on suspicion of homicide, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said. Leif Ames, 35, was arrested around 8:50 p.m. after deputies were dispatched to a home on the 800 block of Brommer Street in Live Oak...

Workers are expected to begin demolishing the Capitola Library on Monday to make way for the city’s new library, with construction estimated to begin on Dec. 1. It is tentatively set to open in late 2019.

WATSONVILLE—Victor Kimura was just 6 months old when his family moved back to Freedom after being imprisoned in Arizona’s Poston Camp during World War II.  His mother and father, born in Watsonville and Petaluma, respectively, told him very little about the days prior to the...

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...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County now has several Covid-19 Test to Treat sites available to the community, including the three OptumServe testing sites, which are available to anyone regardless of insurance or documentation status. Test to Treat sites allow individuals to get tested, be...