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Aptos
January 2, 2026

Cuts looming for Cabrillo as summer enrollment numbers climb

Cabrillo college covid-19
APTOS—A month before summer classes begin on June 15, Cabrillo College is seeing a significant increase in enrollment for that semester, even as college officials gird themselves for a recession and for budget cuts caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, Cabrillo announced Friday that...

With parade nixed, Aptos celebrates Fourth of July from afar

Aptos parade
Since 1961, the World’s Shortest Parade has packed Soquel Drive in Aptos with floats, decorated cars, bands and other community displays of patriotism in celebration of Independence Day. That will not be the case this year. With the novel coronavirus still spreading and stay-at-home orders in...

County’s places of worship, retail stores allowed to open at reduced capacity

Watsonville in-store
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel on Tuesday revised her shelter-in-place order to align most of the county’s restrictions with that of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order. The new county order will open places of worship, in-store retail, outdoor museums and limited...

Smaller classes, fewer days lead district’s plans for fall semester

PVUSD covid-19 fall
WATSONVILLE—Many students unable to return to class when school starts on Aug. 14 due to Covid-19 restrictions will attend a virtual academy, an all-online option created by Pajaro Valley Unified School District as it plans for the coming academic year. The PVUSD Board of Trustees...

Sheriff: We will enforce county beach restrictions

Santa Cruz County coronavirus
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said Friday that his deputies–along with law enforcement officials across the county–plan to enforce the beach restrictions issued Thursday by Health Officer Gail Newel. The health officer imposed the rules to slow the spread of the novel...

Santa Cruz County reports 210th Covid-19 death

Watsonville coronavirus
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County on Wednesday announced that a man in his 60s died from Covid-19 on Aug. 15. County spokesman Jason Hoppin said that the man was unvaccinated and had underlying health conditions. The death was the 210th in Santa Cruz County attributable to...

Local high school sports pushed to December

High school sports
CENTRAL COAST—The Central Coast Section, the local governing body for schools stretching from San Francisco along the coast to King City, this week unveiled its plans for the fall sports season and beyond.  The governing board on Tuesday announced in a press release that mid-December...

Watsonville Covid-19 testing site now open to all area residents

Watsonville covid-19 testing
WATSONVILLE—The Covid-19 community testing site at Ramsay Park in Watsonville is now open to all residents of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. First opened to frontline healthcare workers, first responders and employees working in essential services and roles, the site will now test everyone, including...

County’s young people invited to spend ‘Noon in the Park’

Santa Cruz County noon in the park
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Families across Santa Cruz County are invited to participate in Noon in the Park, a free, virtual program featuring community leaders singing, reading books and creating art. Each day is different.  Kate Pavao and Aaron Lazenby, who run the Live Like Coco Foundation, will...

Santa Cruz County restricts beaches, loosens order to reopen several industries

Watsonville beach covid-19
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...