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Aptos
September 12, 2026

County officials open new Aptos Public Safety Center

APTOS — The sprawling Aptos Village Project got its newest neighbor on May 20 when Santa Cruz County officials officially opened the Aptos Public Safety Center.

‘Keep smiling:’ Longtime Aptos High custodian dies

Robert “Bobby” Salazar, the unofficial mayor of Aptos who served as security guard and maintenance man for Aptos High School for more than four decades, and who was known for his ever-present smile and exhortations for everyone he met to “keep smiling,” died March 17 after a battle with cancer. He was 62.

Findings released for 2022 Oral Health Needs Assessment

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The 2022 State of Oral Health Needs Assessment has revealed the continued massive gap in dental care for low-income residents in Santa Cruz County. The findings are part of a 2022 study conducted by dental healthcare research firm Barbara Aved Associates. They found...

Schacher pulls out of PVUSD Trustee Area 5 race

Aptos resident Jennifer Schacher has withdrawn her candidacy for the Trustee Area 5 seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees. In an emailed statement, Schacher said family obligations contributed to her decision. “This was not an easy decision, but at this time,...

Atre murder suspects delay arraignment

tushar atre court hearing
SANTA CRUZ—Defense attorneys came forward in the Superior Court of Paul Marigold Tuesday to represent the four suspects in the Oct. 1 kidnapping and murder of tech executive and Pleasure Point resident Tushar Atre. Stephen Lindsay, 22, Kaleb Charters, 19, Kurtis Charters, 22, and Joshua...

Santa Cruz County to support lawsuit over planned ICE facility near Gilroy

The Santa Cruz County government building on Ocean Street. (Tarmo Hannula/Pajaronian file)
Santa Cruz County plans to support a lawsuit challenging a proposed federal immigration enforcement facility near Gilroy by joining an amicus curiae brief alongside Santa Clara County and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, county officials announced Thursday. The lawsuit seeks judicial review of a facility...

Twin Lakes Church project raises 1M pounds for food bank, $100K for fire relief

Twin Lakes Church's “Kindness Projects” raised more than one million pounds of food for Second Harvest Food Bank, $104,000 for Northern California fire relief and more, the church announced recently.

Weather gives firefighters a break; CZU Complex fires 5% contained

CZU August Lightning Complex
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS—Mother Nature is lending a hand in the fight against the CZU August Lightning Complex fires in the Santa Cruz mountains. Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Mark Brunton said a much welcomed marine layer wandered into the Central Coast as the weekend got...

Man arrested for firing shots; no injuries

LIVE OAK — Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Sunday arrested a man who reportedly fired several shots into the air in the area of Winkle Drive and Soquel Avenue. Anthony Martinez-Franco, 18, was charged with willful discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm...

Railbanking initiative heads to June ballot

rail trail
SANTA CRUZ—The fate of Santa Cruz County’s rail line is now in the hands of the voters. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-0 to place on the June 7 ballot an initiative which, if successful, would amend Santa Cruz County’s...