Local News

The Capitola Art & Wine Festival returns to Capitola Village this weekend, bringing two days of art, wine, food and entertainment to the seaside community. Hosted by the Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce, the free annual festival will run from 10am-6pm Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday. Thousands of...

Two candidates are seeking the Area 7 seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, representing La Selva Beach, Rio del Mar and adjacent Central Coast communities. Misty Navarro Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Misty Navarro says voters can look at her...

Santa Cruz County officials are preparing for winter weather as federal forecasters call for a potentially strong El Niño this fall and winter. The county has updated its El Niño resource webpage with information aimed at helping residents prepare for severe weather, including heavy rain,...

The leasing office for Cabrillo College’s Costa Vista student housing development is now open, and college officials say interest is already strong. Cabrillo College President Jenn Capps said Tuesday that staff have processed more than 300 interest forms and 30 leasing applications for the development,...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to postpone changes to how their salaries are determined, leaving the current system in place until a newly elected supervisor takes office in January. The board voted 4-1, with Supervisor Manu Koenig dissenting, to table...

A 19-year-old man pleaded not guilty to homicide charges Wednesday for the recent stabbing death of a woman outside Capitola Mall.  Tyler Leibelt was arrested July 20 and charged with murder and other enhancement allegations, including lying in wait, for the stabbing of 73-year-old Rachell...

A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge agreed Monday to seal an earlier juvenile protective order against a local teen now facing murder charges for the stabbing of a 73-year-old woman outside Capitola Mall. Tyler Leibelt, 19, has been charged with murder, along with enhancements...

Aptos resident Jennifer Schacher has withdrawn her candidacy for the Trustee Area 5 seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees. In an emailed statement, Schacher said family obligations contributed to her decision. “This was not an easy decision, but at this time,...

Attorneys for a 19-year-old charged with a recent Capitola homicide will be in court Monday asking to seal a protective order against the teen granted last year, which included an alleged offense they state was “not intended for public consumption,” and which they argue...

Editor's note: an earlier version of this story contained the incorrect spelling for Steamer Lane. A woman died early Thursday morning after the car in which she was a passenger plunged off West Cliff Drive and landed upside down in the sea.  According to Santa Cruz...