PVUSD names new superintendent
Pajaro Valley Unified School District on Friday named its new superintendent.
The district’s Board of Trustees appointed Heather Contreras in closed session during its March 13 board meeting.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Heather Contreras as our new Superintendent,” Board President Georgia Acosta stated in...
Police chiefs, Feb. 24: Everyone must do their part to prevent gun violence
As law enforcement executives in Santa Cruz County, each of us individually may have different views of how best to reduce gun violence, but we all committed to providing leadership to prevent and reduce gun violence and to keep our children and teachers safe in our schools.
Letters to the Editor, Aug. 13
Sheriff Oversight Commission needed
On behalf of Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Santa Cruz County, we submit this letter to draw your attention to urgent needs in our community that have been ignored for too long. We trust you agree that each of us...
California Senate recognizes Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
The California State Senate has recognized May as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month with the passage of Senate Resolution 34, which I was proud to have authored. This designation will help bring attention to this life debilitating disease.
Key environmental legislation passes assembly
CALIFORNIA—As California recovers from a historic heatwave, the State Assembly last week passed three bills by Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) to help fight the climate crisis, incentivize sustainable agriculture, and advance environmental justice for all.
“California has ambitious environmental goals, and the advancement of my...
Salvation Army shutters its shelter
On Saturday morning, 48-year-old Gerardo Gutierrez was one of about a dozen men sitting in the day room at Salvation Army’s Watsonville location, quietly watching an old Vicente Fernández film playing silently on a television mounted to the ceiling.
The men—most of them homeless—had stayed...
K9 officer helps find loaded handgun; man arrested
A man was arrested late last month on multiple felony charges after he ditched a loaded gun and ran from Capitola Police.
The incident began...





















