Fire breaks out at hotel
Fire swept through at least one room at the Surf City Inn and Suites early Saturday in the Beach Flats area of Santa Cruz.
Escobar handed two life sentences
SANTA CRUZ—The man who gunned down a rival gang member and killed a 4-year-old girl in the crossfire nearly six years ago was sentenced Thursday to two consecutive terms of life without parole in state prison.
Michael Escobar, 36, also received more than 12 years...
Girl Scouts clean up Hidden Beach Park
Girl Scout Daisy Troop 15015 recently met at Hidden Beach Park in Aptos to help with a park cleanup.
Hidden Beach is primarily used by local neighborhood residents — both as a park and a beachfront area. Discussions were made with county officials about the need for the park to receive some TLC. Nine 6-year-old Daisies responded to the call and were willing to serve.
Equipped with vinyl gloves, trash bags and mechanical grabbers, the afternoon started with a talk about being safe. Tips included: using the grabbers to pick up all items, no picking up sharp objects, and always use the gloves.
Sutter invests $1M into affordable housing project
SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz Community Health (SCCH) and Dientes Community Dental Care on March 6 announced a $1 million dollar investment from Sutter Health into the construction and operation of a mixed-use affordable housing project in Live Oak.Â
The project at 1500 Capitola Road includes a...
Santa Cruz County fair canceled
WATSONVILLE—Every year on the outskirts of Watsonville, late summer brings the intoxicating aroma of fried food, along with the sweet summer cacophony of carnival rides, livestock and giant, jubilant crowds.
But those voices will fall silent this year at the Santa Cruz County Fair, after...
Santa Cruz County facing dire financial picture
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County will dip into its budgetary reserves to cover an estimated $20 million deficit in this year’s budget, which stems from revenue losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the request by County Administrative Officer Carlos...
Man suspected in stabbing two people arrested
A man suspected of stabbing two people in Santa Cruz’s downtown corridor Friday night was arrested Tuesday at a Santa Cruz residence.
Santa Cruz County jury trials to resume
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Superior Court plans to resume jury trials in late summer, a little more than two months after they were temporarily suspended due to concerns over Covid-19.
Presiding Judge Paul Burdick announced on March 17 that all jury trials—including criminal, civil...
Twin Lakes practices generosity
Twin Lakes Church recently announced the results of a two-month-long project in which members raised more than $286,000 for Second Harvest Food Bank, which is the equivalent of more than 1.1 million meals.
Santa Cruz County Covid-19 cases see steady rise
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County health officials identified 37 new Covid-19 cases—the county’s largest single-day jump since the virus started its spread—on Monday, increasing the number of new cases over the last eight days to 142.
There are 216 active cases in the county, and...