Pedestrian struck, killed on Highway 1
APTOS—A man was struck and killed by an SUV early Thursday morning on Highway 1 in Aptos.
California Highway Patrol Officer Alyssa Gutierrez said the victim was wandering around the southbound lanes on foot around 6:20am when he was struck by a Honda CRV driven...
CZU Complex now state’s 9th-most destructive fire ever recorded
SCOTTS VALLEY—The CZU August Lightning Complex has destroyed 1,483 structures as of Tuesday morning, making it the ninth-most destructive fire ever recorded in the state.
The majority of those structures are single-family homes in the Santa Cruz mountain towns of Boulder Creek and Bonny Doon,...
County’s budget cuts to Sheriff’s Office eased
SANTA CRUZ— The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an $874 million budget for the coming year that includes cuts and position reductions to every department in the county.
According to County Budget Manager Christina Mowrey, the reductions include furloughs of 5-10%,...
Artist raises $1,000 for Ukrainian children through Open Studios
APTOS—Local artist and Pajaro Valley Arts exhibit coordinator Hedwig Heerschop recently raised $1,000 during the Open Studios Art Tour for children in Ukraine.
Heerschop, a fine art photographer and printmaker, raffled off one of her photograph etchings, depicting a blue and yellow sunflower. She sold...
Gilroy man accused of ‘Boogaloo’ affiliation
By Michael Moore, of the Morgan Hill Times
SANTA CLARA COUNTY—Gilroy resident Alan Viarengo, who taught math at Gavilan College for nearly 20 years, was arrested last week on suspicion of stalking and threatening Santa Clara County’s public health officer, and police say he has...
Most Santa Cruz County schools close for the week
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Cabrillo College on Monday joined most school districts across Santa Cruz County when officials announced that classes will be canceled through Aug. 28. The move came after the CZU August Lightning Complex fires forced the evacuation of teachers and staff.
In making the...
Covid-19, fires taxing service providers
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The CZU August Lightning Complex fires have so far destroyed more than 500 homes and forced 77,000 people to evacuate from their community. Those people have flooded evacuation centers throughout the county.
That, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic that has upended the economy...
More than 700 structures destroyed by CZU Complex fire; now 24% contained
SCOTTS VALLEY—The level of containment in the CZU August Lightning Complex fires continues to increase, and so does the number of confirmed destroyed and damaged structures.
The blaze in the Santa Cruz Mountains has destroyed 746 structures and is still threatening more than 13,000 others...
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...
Candidate calls for Councilwoman Parker to resign after probe into his profession
WATSONVILLE—A candidate for Watsonville City Council is calling for Councilwoman Ari Parker to resign for abuse of power after she challenged his standing as a teacher on his candidate statement, and asked City officials to scrub his designation. But Parker is saying that she...
