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Aptos
July 18, 2026

Reward increased for information in kidnapping, murder case

SANTA CRUZ—A group of community members is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case of a man who was kidnapped from his Pleasure Point home and murdered on Oct. 1. The reward is the largest of its kind in...

State prioritizes farmworkers for Covid-19 vaccinations

CALIFORNIA—As California deals with a surge of Covid-19 cases, hope is in sight as the vaccine begins to be administered to healthcare workers and long-term care residents. And on Jan. 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that farmworkers would be included in the next tier. The announcement...

PVUSD Trustees approve retention bonuses, other incentives

PVUSD
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 24 approved a series of bonuses and supplemental payments aimed at retaining teachers and school employees. Every teacher, school worker and administrator employed since April 1—and who plans to stay with the district through...

Artist sought for La Selva Beach library project

The Santa Cruz County Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services is seeking an artist to create a public art project for the La Selva Beach Public Library.

Leaving behind 33 years of firefighting

His boots and helmet are now a thing of the past. Aptos/La Selva firefighter Rick Molinar worked his final 24-hour shift Wednesday and into Thursday following a 33-year career.

Caltrans safety improvement projects planned for Hwy. 129 & 152

Caltrans crews will perform safety improvement projects in Watsonville starting March 30, which will result in daytime and overnight closures of lanes along Highway 129 and 152. Travelers will encounter the following closures: • Hwy 129, from Highway 1 to Union Street: Daytime lane closures Monday...

Flyover honors first responders, essential workers

Covid-19 flyover
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A team of six pilots took the sky over Santa Cruz County Saturday in a first-ever local aerial tribute to those giving to their community during the Covid-19 pandemic. Lightning Formation Airshows (LFA), with support from Watsonville Municipal Airport, painted the sky with...

Students test their skills in math, science and engineering

SANTA CRUZ — More than 300 students, grades six through 12 from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, converged at the Baskin Engineering building at UC Santa Cruz Saturday to compete in the annual Math, Engineering, Science Achievement preliminary competition.

Aptos Chamber celebrates award recipients

The Aptos Chamber of Commerce celebrated the recipients of its annual awards during a dinner at Seascape Beach Resort on Oct. 26.

County’s budget cuts to Sheriff’s Office eased

County of Santa Cruz budget
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%,...