Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Office of Education on Thursday evening announced that all schools in the county will be closed from March 16-20. The announcement was emailed to parents throughout the county one day after a case was confirmed in a person with...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday declared a local emergency in response to the increasing numbers of coronavirus cases. The board also ratified a Mar. 4 declaration by Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel of a local health emergency. Health...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved nine new courses at five high schools that will bolster the district’s newly retooled Career Technical Education program. The new courses were created as extensions of the existing ones, with the penultimate...

The 15th annual Monterey Bay Birding Festival is on deck for a three-day run of lectures, field trips, pelagic journeys, scintillating slide shows and local foods and wines.

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday voted to permanently end its School Resource Officer program at Watsonville, Pajaro Valley and Aptos high schools, and to redirect the funds to socio-emotional counselors. The district will also look into creating wellness centers...

APTOS — The iconic Bay View Hotel in Aptos is one of several properties being considered for conversion to long-term rental units. County officials are looking into a plan to convert the 149-year-old building at 8041 Soquel Drive, along with eight properties in Aptos, Felton and Boulder Creek

WATSONVILLE—Cal Fire on Tuesday night ordered more than 22,000 residents in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties to evacuate as the CZU August Lightning Complex fires began to spread throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains. Temporary shelters have been set up across the region to house...

Work moves forward at the major rebuild and renovation project at Rancho Del Mar in Aptos.

FELTON—The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy killed Saturday afternoon when he was ambushed by a gunman who has been identified as Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38. Gutzwiller was a father of a young child, and was expecting a new child soon, said Sheriff Jim Hart. The death...

SANTA CRUZ— The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an $874 million budget for the coming year that includes cuts and position reductions to every department in the county. According to County Budget Manager Christina Mowrey, the reductions include furloughs of 5-10%,...