Police warn of porch pirates, offer tips to stop them
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police are warning the public to be on the lookout for holiday package thieves, and are suggesting a few simple safeguards to stop theft.
The issue came to the forefront this holiday season when a resident recorded a daylight burglary from her Watsonville residence...
Five mid-county stores cited in alcohol, tobacco sting
APTOS—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies issued misdemeanor citations at five mid-county businesses after employees allegedly sold alcohol or tobacco to minor decoys, Sheriff’s Lt. Greg Lansdowne said.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol and Tobacco Compliance Unit conducted the Nov. 7 decoy operation at...
State prioritizes farmworkers for Covid-19 vaccinations
CALIFORNIA—As California deals with a surge of Covid-19 cases, hope is in sight as the vaccine begins to be administered to healthcare workers and long-term care residents.
And on Jan. 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that farmworkers would be included in the next tier.
The announcement...
Illegal fireworks keep local law enforcement busy on Fourth
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Watsonville firefighters had a “very busy Fourth of July” as they responded to a total of 24 calls in the 24-hour period surrounding the holiday, including medical calls and fires to vegetation, dumpsters and structures. Units were also out patrolling for illegal...
UC system admits record number of Latinx students
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville High School graduate Kayla Cabrera will be attending virtual classes at UC Berkeley when the fall semester begins on Oct. 1, where she will double major in legal and ethnic studies for a pre-law track.
Inspired by social justice issues she encountered while growing...
Sutter invests $1M into affordable housing project
SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz Community Health (SCCH) and Dientes Community Dental Care on March 6 announced a $1 million dollar investment from Sutter Health into the construction and operation of a mixed-use affordable housing project in Live Oak.
The project at 1500 Capitola Road includes a...
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy killed after being ambushed by Ben Lomond resident
FELTON—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy killed Saturday afternoon when he was ambushed by a gunman who has been identified as Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38.
Gutzwiller was a father of a young child, and was expecting a new child soon, said Sheriff Jim Hart.
The death...
Aptos High grads tried to make campus safe, diverse for future
APTOS—When Oscar Cisneros was a sophomore at Aptos High School he and his friends felt their school was not celebrating its large cultural diversity.
“This is a diverse campus,” he said. “There are so many cultures that should be celebrated.”
Together, they created the Migrant Student...
Deputy Sheriffs’ Association makes record donation for memorial park
SOQUEL—The Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs' Association (DSA) has offered a $100,000 “challenge” grant to help fund a memorial for Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was killed on duty on June 6, 2020.
The grant is the largest donation in the organization’s history.
The DSA now...
