Local News

By a narrow 7-4 margin, the commissioners also approved a contract with Minnesota-based Progressive Rail to provide the passenger service. The company currently runs freight rail operations in South County.

SANTA CRUZ—Hundreds of people filled the streets of downtown Santa Cruz Monday to participate in the third-annual Martin Luther King march, an event co-sponsored by the NAACP and the Santa Cruz Police Department. “This is a business model of the Santa Cruz Police Department,” said...

Ofelia Garcia (right) of the Friends of the Aptos Library speaks to a crowd gathered to celebrate the opening of the walk-through garden at Aptos Library. Photo by Bek Sabedra

SANTA CRUZ—The family of the 8-year-old girl who was murdered in 2015 is facing a new tragedy after someone stole the urn containing her ashes. Madyson “Maddy” Middleton’s family says that her father Michel Middleton was keeping the urn in the glovebox of his unlocked...

APTOS — Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Thursday arrested a man thought to be responsible for at least one burglary from a business in the area of Aptos and Capitola.

A sand castle spelling out "Capitola" is one of several castles various teams built as part of the Capitola Beach Festival.

SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz Police are dealing with a ‘suspicious object’ that was found on the West Side of Santa Cruz Wednesday afternoon, forcing the closure of several roads and a shelter-in-place order for residents. Police have teamed up with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s bomb...

SANTA CRUZ—Dozens of homeless people were roused by police officers in their tents early Friday morning at Phoenix Camp, the unsanctioned encampment behind the Gateway Plaza at River Street and Highway 1 in Santa Cruz. The message was clear: the residents were trespassing on city-owned...

New businesses moving into Rancho Del Mar With updates nearing completion at the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, owner Terramar Retail Centers announced five new businesses that will be setting up shop.

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS—Mother Nature is lending a hand in the fight against the CZU August Lightning Complex fires in the Santa Cruz mountains. Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Mark Brunton said a much welcomed marine layer wandered into the Central Coast as the weekend got...