60.6 F
Aptos
December 19, 2025

Santa Cruz shifting homeless as way to slow virus’ spread

SANTA CRUZ—Several uniformed Santa Cruz police officers were on Water Street Friday morning, along with a group of city workers, tasked with dismantling and moving a homeless encampment that has grown along the north wall of the downtown post office, and in other places...

Aptos home burns to the ground

A house was fully engulfed in flames at 1250 Valencia School Road in Aptos Sunday evening. The blaze, which was first reported at around 6:45 p.m., ended up burning the structure flat to the ground. No injuries were reported. The family of five that lived at the home were reportedly not in the area at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire in still under investigation.

United Way accepting applications for Emergency Food and Shelter Program

United Way of Santa Cruz County
The United Way of Santa Cruz County is accepting applications from agencies that provide food and shelter services looking for financial assistance. The local United Way branch will have $340,041 to distribute to qualifying nonprofit, faith-based and local government agencies through its Emergency Food and...

Roaring Camp Pushes Back on Reported Railbanking Talks

roaring camp
It’s just after noon on Jan. 28, and a Roaring Camp train is getting ready to leave the station to wind its way up the Santa Cruz Mountains. “We’re two minutes late now, but that’s OK,” says the announcer on board, as the last stragglers...

Aptos farm wins Best of Show at regional olive oil competition

Patrick and Teresa Royan were living in Los Gatos when they first discovered Pleasant Valley, a rural area in Aptos permeated with rolling hills, orchards, vineyards and pastures. The couple had been looking for a place to settle relatively close to the beach yet...

Supervisors mull post-employment lobbying rule

Santa Cruz County lobbying
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new ordinance which, if given final approval on March 8, will impose a one-year “cooling off” period during which former County employees would be prohibited from engaging in lobbying activities for...

Two Safeway employees at Soquel location test positive for Covid-19

CAPITOLA—Two employees who work at the Safeway grocery store on 41st Avenue in Capitola have tested positive for Covid-19, company spokeswoman Wendy Gutshall said. One employee has not worked since May 23, and the second since May 30, she said. “That store has been through multiple...

Groups sound off on syringes as comment deadline nears

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A Santa Cruz-based community organization this month publicly stated its opposition to a proposal that would increase the distribution of needles to drug addicts, saying that similar efforts have led to increased numbers of used ones found in public places. The letter by...

Pedestrian struck, killed on Highway 1

highway 1 freedom boulevard fatal crash caltrans california highway patrol
APTOS—A man was struck and killed by an SUV early Thursday morning on Highway 1 in Aptos. California Highway Patrol Officer Alyssa Gutierrez said the victim was wandering around the southbound lanes on foot around 6:20am when he was struck by a Honda CRV driven...

Aptos teacher hopes to create program to help students, educators

WATSONVILLE—As a new teacher, Brogan Dahl knows how difficult it can be to live in Santa Cruz County on an educator’s salary. She also has experienced the frustration of wanting to bring creativity into her lessons while under the limiting mantle of a strict...