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Darrow, who goes by the pen name Verlin Darrow, wrote "The Santa Cruz Guru Murders" and "Shrinking the Truth" in the 1990s. He published “Blood and Wisdom” in 2018.

Sally Vaughn is showcasing her paintings in a new exhibit at the Cabrillo Fitness Club, 6200 Soquel Drive in Aptos.

SOQUEL — The Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors on Tuesday approved a five-year rate hike for its customers, which district officials say was created to help the district better maintain its aquifer supplies, fund ongoing operations and prevent saltwater intrusion caused by groundwater overdraft.

APTOS — Nearly 3,000 fourth-grade students from around Santa Cruz County came to Cabrillo College’s Aptos campus early in March to get their first taste of college life and, organizers hope, show them that post-secondary education is within their reach.

James Baker spent 30 years in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, working his way up from a teacher to superintendent. Over those three decades, the school district was faced with integrating bilingual education, a teacher strike, a year-round schedule, the devastation of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and many other trials and tribulations.

SOQUEL — The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay will present guitarist and singer/songwriter John Doyle on June 5 at 7:30 p.m. at a house concert in Soquel. The Irish musician has long been known for his guitar and bouzouki work, from his early days with Irish supergroup Solas, to his duo work with fiddler Liz Carroll, to his work with Nuala Kennedy and Eamon O'Leary as the Alt, to his collaboration with Scottish fiddler John Mckusker and piper Mike McGoldrick.

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%,...

Kiegan Lee spent the entirety of her time as an Aptos High School student involved with theater. She helped with sound design, served as a volunteer and held onstage roles, most notably as the female lead in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Lee, 18, is now studying theater sound design at University of Southern California, far from the place she grew up.

The final Capitola Begonia Festival wrapped up Monday with the traditional Fishing Derby on the Capitola Wharf. The event, which peaks with the Nautical Parade on Sunday, has been a huge draw for crowds of all ages for the last 65 years.

SCOTTS VALLEY—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s detectives on Wednesday arrested a Live Oak man suspected of using credit and bank cards stolen from a firefighter’s truck to make thousands of dollars in purchases. Brian Lee Johnson, 34, has been charged with using stolen credit cards, receiving...