Railbanking initiative heads to June ballot
SANTA CRUZ—The fate of Santa Cruz County’s rail line is now in the hands of the voters.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-0 to place on the June 7 ballot an initiative which, if successful, would amend Santa Cruz County’s...
RTC publicly discusses railbanking Santa Cruz Branch
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) on Thursday discussed the future of the county’s rail line, and possibly setting it aside for future use while first focusing on building a bicycle and pedestrian path.
In a report to the commission, RTC...
Carrillo pleads guilty to Gutzwiller killing
SANTA CRUZ—The man who shot a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s sergeant to death—days after killing a federal building security guard in Oakland during a crime spree two years ago—pleaded guilty Monday to the local charges.
Steven Carrillo, 33, a former U.S. Air Force sergeant, will...
County park will honor late Sheriff’s deputy
APTOS—Plans were announced Thursday of a major renovation of Willowbrook County Park to honor the late Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was gunned down in the line of duty in 2020.
The project of “reimagining” the park was announced in a brief...
Santa Cruz County health officer says mask order won’t change behavior
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Saying that she has not yet seen reliable data that a countywide masking mandate would alter personal behavior or lower Covid-19 cases, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said she does not plan to issue a new order any time...
Cabrillo leaders to decide on renaming college
APTOS—On Nov. 14, the Cabrillo College Governing Board will meet to answer a question that has been vexing Santa Cruz County for two years: should the name of its community college be changed?
The effort to possibly change Cabrillo College’s name began in 2020, as...
County seeking independent sheriff’s inspector
SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz County will send out a request for proposals (RFP) for an Office of the Inspector General (OIG) that would have independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Office, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday.
Assembly Bill 1185, a state law passed in 2020,...
Supervisors signal support for tenant protection rules
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—One woman lost her job and couldn’t pay rent, and then found herself in a battle with her landlord, who didn’t believe her story and threatened eviction.
A family financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic found themselves battling a landlord who raised their...
PVUSD Trustees approve retention bonuses, other incentives
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 24 approved a series of bonuses and supplemental payments aimed at retaining teachers and school employees.
Every teacher, school worker and administrator employed since April 1—and who plans to stay with the district through...
Cabrillo College receives $3M grant
Cabrillo College announced Oct. 10 that it is the recipient of a five-year, $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE).
The Abriendo El Camino: Connecting & Supporting High School Students into Structured College & Career Pathways grant aims to strengthen career...





















