Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Office of Education (COE) has launched a dashboard that summarizes Covid-19 testing results across schools countywide. The dashboard is a partnership with school districts, Inspire Diagnostics and the Santa Cruz County Department of Public Health, COE spokesman Nick Ibarra...

WATSONVILLE—Graduation for Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s 1,179 seniors this year will look drastically different than it has at any time in its history. That is because the school closures imposed April 1 by state education officials have required students to learn from home for...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County on Monday identified 22 new Covid-19 cases, breaking its previous single-day record (21) set just a week ago. There are now 129 active cases in the county and there have been 379 cases overall. Of those residents that have contracted...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel on Thursday indefinitely extended the shelter-in-place order issued on March 31. She also closed the county’s beaches between the hours of 11am and 5pm. Both moves are meant to further reduce the spread of COVID-19 by...

The California Department of Public Health approved Covid-19 County Variance Attestation Forms for both Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, the agencies announced Saturday morning. The acceptance will allow the neighboring counties to advance into Stage 2 of the state's so-called resilience roadmap. Restaurants can now...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new ordinance aimed at protecting tenants being harassed by their landlords or property owners when they speak out about bad conditions in their living spaces. The item was heard for first and second...

The Aptos High Theater Department is presenting Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” opening Friday. The school is putting its own spin on the classic tale by re-imagining it in the 1980s. In this production directed by teacher Stacy Aronovici and senior Quinn Youngs, the audience will experience the lives of the young housemaid, Cinderella (Ella), played by senior Kaylee Leal, and Prince Christopher (Topher), played by senior Ryan Yeaman. Ella lives with her stepmother, Madame (senior Desiree Hardin), and her two daughters Gabrielle (senior Sara Pedro) and Charlotte (junior Grace Romeu).

APTOS — Nearly 3,000 fourth-grade students from around Santa Cruz County came to Cabrillo College’s Aptos campus early in March to get their first taste of college life and, organizers hope, show them that post-secondary education is within their reach.

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police are again warning the public to be careful with their credit and debit cards after an investigator found two card skimmers at a gas pump. Credit card skimmers are often installed on gas pumps by criminals to steal account information. They can be...

June 10 marked the 17th annual release of Bargetto Winery’s “La Vita” wine. The oldest winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains and one of the oldest in the state, Bargetto Winery is celebrating its 85 anniversary this year with a number of events. “Honestly, I think it was the best ‘La Vita’ event we’ve ever had,” said Director of Winemaking John Bargetto. “At least, it was my favorite. The place was packed — and I think the wine turned out exceptional this year, so of course that made it even better.”