County faces economic restrictions as it inches toward state’s watchlist
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County is days away from being placed on the California Department of Public Health’s Monitoring List and facing further economic restrictions, County Health Officer Gail Newel said at Thursday morning’s press conference.
With 511 active Covid-19 cases as of Thursday—and more...
Building a career
At Cabrillo College, budding architects are gaining experience where many of their peers in the same major do not: by helping to build the homes they design.
Michael Watkins, longtime county superintendent, to retire
“At the end of my term, I will have led the organization for 12 years,” he said. “I believe in giving others a chance to bring new ideas and leadership to any organization.”
Santa Cruz County now has 13 COVID-19 cases
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency announced that there are now 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel announced the county’s first case on March 7.
The increasing...
First business opens in Aptos Village
Sereno Group, a commercial and residential realtor, was the first business to open its doors in the Aptos Village Project.
On Jan. 25, the folks inside the business were adjusting to their new environs, said Coastal Regional Manager Gina Odom said.
County unveils budget
Santa Cruz County officials on Tuesday opened public hearings on a proposed $1.29 billion budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, warning that federal funding cuts, rising labor costs and growing structural deficits are forcing difficult financial decisions in the years ahead.
The recommended budget includes...
Rail-trail controversy continues: Greenway says 10,000 signatures show support for trail plan
In that vision, thousands of people using that trail will significantly reduce the load on Highway 1, thus improving commute times and solving a problem that has long plagued the county.
That vision is different from that of the county’s rail advocates, who hope that a passenger train will one day serve more than 3,600 people daily.
On Tuesday, a group of Greenway supporters handed a stack of petitions with more than 10,000 signatures to Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s new director Guy Preston. Supporters say the petition shows overwhelming support from county residents to convert the rail line into a pedestrian and bike trail.
Local robotics club wins top honors
A Santa Cruz County-based science education group took top honors in a regional underwater robotics competition April 25, earning a return trip to an international contest in Newfoundland, Canada.
The Hephaestus Robotics Team, part of the Santa Cruz County Office of Education’s X Academy Robotics...
Twin Lakes Church project raises 1M pounds for food bank, $100K for fire relief
Twin Lakes Church's “Kindness Projects” raised more than one million pounds of food for Second Harvest Food Bank, $104,000 for Northern California fire relief and more, the church announced recently.
Second Harvest food distributions to run through August
SANTA CRUZ—Second Harvest Food Bank hosted a drive-thru community food distribution Friday at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Supported by numerous volunteers and members of the California National Guard, the distribution unfolded under overcast skies as part of ongoing county-wide distributions that alternate between the...




















