Local News

APTOS—When Covid-19 began to sweep the U.S.—and brought with it an economic recession—Cabrillo College officials expected a jump in enrollment that typically comes with a battered economy. But the college is now seeing a significant drop in those numbers, which it pins on the double...

"We are so happy that we got to participate," she said. "We are also so said that it's going to be the last one. We hope something will continue." In January, the Capitola Begonia Festival committee announced that the 2017 iteration of the festival will be the last. Golden State Bulb Growers, which grows the begonia blossoms in Marina, is retiring from the business of growing begonias, but agreed to donate the blossoms for the festival for one final time.

Aptos artist Becky Olvera Schultz is showing her work at Showtime Pizzeria, 7960 Soquel Drive, Suite E, through February.

In all, the district is spending an estimated $28.5 million on a wide array of projects this summer, most of which are funded through Measure L, which was approved by voters in 2012.

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...

The boys recently rescued a 4-year-old girl from drowning. That happened on March 24, while they were attending a birthday party for a friend of their sister at Santa Maria Beach, which lies at the end of 21st Avenue in Santa Cruz.

New Leaf Community Markets is hiring more than 100 positions for its new Aptos Village location, set to open in the spring.

The World’s Shortest Parade in Aptos lived up to its standard of drawing thousands of people, from babies to seniors, to the street — many with their dogs in tow — for a view of the action. From Little League baseball teams and realty groups, to fire engines, elected officials and modern dance troupes, the parade sent 102 different groups along Soquel Drive under cloudy skies. With nine California Highway Patrol officers lending a hand in traffic control and in shutting down a short section of Soquel Drive, the festive event proved to have a greater showing of entries than any mid-week Fourth of July parade, said Karen Hibble, co-executive director of the Aptos Chamber of Commerce.

WATSONVILLE—Over the summer, Pajaro Valley Unified School District completed 65 maintenance, construction and upgrade projects to the tune of $30 million. That was all thanks to Measure L, the $150 million bond approved by voters in 2012. That bond is nearing the end of its...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The World Health Organization on Wednesday classified COVID-19 as a pandemic, as lawmakers and leaders worldwide grapple with rapidly growing numbers of cases. There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people have died. Thousands more have been hospitalized,...