Second Harvest launches food drive
APTOS—In Santa Cruz County, one in four children are considered food insecure, a number Second Harvest Food Bank CEO Willy Elliott‑McCrea called “staggering” and “unacceptable.”
The growing numbers of hungry people who struggle to feed themselves and their families was the impetus – and the...
Embattled Santa Cruz County judge announces retirement
SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Ariadne Symons on Monday announced she will retire from the bench at the conclusion of her current term in 2020.
Symons issued a press release outlining her nearly four-decade career.
“Serving for more than a decade on the bench...
Cabrillo celebrates 60 years of education
WATSONVILLE—Cabrillo College got its start six decades ago in several condemned buildings in an unused corner of Watsonville High School.
More than 800 freshmen began classes there on Sept. 1, 1959.
The community college has since evolved into a mid-county educational centerpiece, serving more than 15,000...
Supervisors approve Live Oak housing project, ban no-fault evictions until 2020
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a proposal to sell a property in Live Oak, and a plan to develop it into an affordable housing project that will include a dental and a medical clinic.
MidPen Housing, which is purchasing...
Soquel man arrested for child sex crimes
SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Thursday arrested a Soquel man suspected of more than a dozen counts of sexual assault of a child.
Luis Ortiz, 59, was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
According to Sheriff’s spokeswoman Ashley...
Aptos burglary case ends in mistrial
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office will retry the case of a man who was shot as he allegedly broke into an Aptos residence to burglarize it.
The trial of Damien Welch ended in mistrial Friday when a single juror did not agree...
Two murder suspects escape Monterey County jail
SALINAS—Two inmates escaped from the Monterey County Adult Detention Facility early Saturday.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said 21-year-old Santos Samuel Fonseca and 20-year-old Jonathan Salazar were both awaiting trial on unrelated murder charges along with numerous other felony charges.
The MCSO said Saturday it was...
Running October call list casts light on domestic violence
WATSONVILLE—Every year during the month of October, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office sends daily statistics to local media, counting the domestic violence calls to which county law enforcement officials respond.
It is a grim tally and a reminder during Domestic Violence Awareness Month...
PG&E customers may be eligible for power shutoff compensation
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers affected by the recent Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) may qualify for reimbursements.
Under its Safety Net program, PG&E pays customers that have gone without power for more than 48 hours due to severe weather events, according to...
County supervisors approve Mid-County auto dealership
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 22 approved a plan to build an automobile dealership at a busy Mid-County intersection, a project that includes demolishing several existing buildings.
The Nissan dealership on the 2.5-acre parcel on the corner of 41st Avenue...
