62.3 F
Aptos
January 10, 2026

Realtors warn public of online rental scam

WATSONVILLE—Local realtors and brokers are urging the community to be aware of an online rental scam that is taking advantage of desperate renters. The scam strips information from sale listings on various websites, repackages them as hyper-affordable rental listings and posts them on sites such...

Bus operators push back on METRO’s rider increases

Santa Cruz METRO covid-19
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz METRO has increased its passenger capacity by 50% in an effort to accommodate more riders, but that decision has raised concerns within the union representing the bus operators still working during the Covid-19 pandemic. METRO CEO Alex Clifford announced on June...

Coronavirus case found in PVUSD school

APTOS—Pajaro Valley Unified School District announced Wednesday it is closing Rio Del Mar Elementary School for two days after a person there tested positive for coronavirus. District officials are not saying what the person’s relationship to the school is. They were last at the school...

New housing program helps farmworkers during Covid-19 pandemic

housing for the harvest
WATSONVILLE—Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 24 revealed a new temporary housing program that aims to help agricultural workers across the state better protect themselves and their families during the Covid-19 pandemic. Housing for the Harvest will offer temporary hotel housing to workers who need to...

More than 700 structures destroyed by CZU Complex fire; now 24% contained

CZU August Lightning Complex fires
SCOTTS VALLEY—The level of containment in the CZU August Lightning Complex fires continues to increase, and so does the number of confirmed destroyed and damaged structures. The blaze in the Santa Cruz Mountains has destroyed 746 structures and is still threatening more than 13,000 others...

PVUSD repairing multiple schools throughout summer

In all, the district is spending an estimated $28.5 million on a wide array of projects this summer, most of which are funded through Measure L, which was approved by voters in 2012.

Aptos burglary suspects arrested

Arthur Carson, 31, was charged with burglary, vehicle theft and carrying a concealed knife. Tracy Blundell, 43, faces burglary charges. Additionally, both face charges for possession of drug paraphernalia.

PVUSD bids farewell to longtime board members

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Dec. 12 said farewell to members Willie Yahiro, Leslie De Rose and Jeff Ursino during the annual organizational meeting, which also was a time to swear in three new trustees. The district boardroom was packed with teachers, administrators and community members, who came to pay tribute to Ursino,

Animal shelter offering free spay/neuter services for cats

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) is offering free spay/neuter services for cats, as well as microchipping and vaccinations for $10.

CZU Complex now state’s 9th-most destructive fire ever recorded

CZU August Lightning Complex Fires
SCOTTS VALLEY—The CZU August Lightning Complex has destroyed 1,483 structures as of Tuesday morning, making it the ninth-most destructive fire ever recorded in the state. The majority of those structures are single-family homes in the Santa Cruz mountain towns of Boulder Creek and Bonny Doon,...