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Santa Cruz County Recorder’s Office has announced the launch of Fraud Notify, a new service that helps protect property owners from potential real estate fraud. The free, easy-to-use program allows anyone to sign up to receive an email alert whenever a document is recorded in...

After two years at Cabrillo College and a couple more at Southern Oregon University, Steve Walpole Jr. embarked on a 30-year career in policing that would see him rise through the ranks in Watsonville and Los Gatos, before returning to work in his hometown...

Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office has released the 2024 Crop Report, announcing that the estimated gross production value of local agricultural commodities reached nearly $742 million, an increase of 13.3% over 2023. Strawberries remain the top crop in Santa Cruz County, accounting for $218.9...

Fire safety advocates and local leaders recently gathered at Paradise Park to celebrate Santa Cruz County’s milestone of surpassing 100 Firewise USA communities—earning third place nationally in recognized sites. The Sept. 28 picnic, hosted by the Santa Cruz County Fire Safe Council and organized by...

Construction crews have begun work this week on a Caltrans project aimed at installing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant curb ramps along Highway 9 in Ben Lomond to improve pedestrian access and safety in the area. Work started on Oct. 13 and will continue through...

Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL), in collaboration with Urban Word, Watsonville Public Library, Santa Cruz County Office of Education and Arts Council Santa Cruz County, has announced the third year of the Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate Program (SCCYPL). The program provides opportunities for...

There is a seed- and fruit-eating bird native to the Antioquia region of Colombia known as the Antioquia brushfinch, or the Montarito Paisa—with a black-and-white body and an orange mohawk-looking tuft on its head—that is so endangered it was unknown to science for years. Wise...

If you’re looking to add a little “Misery” to your world, look no further than Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre. From Oct. 17 through Nov. 1, Stephen King’s twisted story will keep audiences on the edge of their seats as they witness the peril-fraught relationship...

October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, and Scotts Valley Police Department is urging drivers to exercise extra caution to protect pedestrians. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a pedestrian is killed every 72 minutes and injured every eight minutes in traffic crashes. In...

Santa Cruz County Mosquito and Vector Control has confirmed the presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes near downtown Boulder Creek, marking the second confirmed case in the county, after a 2022 detection in South County. This aggressive, day-biting mosquito measures about 1/4-inch and is black and...