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While some retirees may sail off into the sunset, California Highway Patrol Capt. Aaron Ching is taking a new approach to that old adage as he prepares to paddle into the sunset. Thanks to Neftali Espino of Honeymoon Surfboards and efforts by CHP staff, Ching...

In a wool sport coat he’d picked up while in Manhattan, Scotts Valley outgoing Mayor Jack Dilles glanced over to see the man taking his job approaching. There was Vice Mayor Randy Johnson in a striking navy blue suit and tie. “You look great,” Dilles...

A couple days after Caden “Worm” Paul took in a performance of the “Nutcracker” at the Scotts Valley Cultural and Performing Arts Center, the boy was up on the same stage himself with his preschool classmates. Winter Zalona was one of them; just two days...

When I first stepped foot inside the Third Hand Store in Ben Lomond, a Canadian tasked with covering the quirky and community-oriented Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley region for a traditional print newspaper, I was hoping to find some threads to suit the...

The year 2024 is going to be big when it comes to politics—not just on the national stage, but on the local level as well. In Santa Cruz County District 5, which covers the San Lorenzo Valley (north past Castle Rock State Park to the...

Bank of America announced Housing Matters as the 2023 Neighborhood Champion awardee for their work advancing economic mobility and building up underserved neighborhoods in Santa Cruz County.  Through a multi-year $50,000 grant and leadership training for its executive director and an emerging leader within its...

Board approves sales tax measure for March ballot Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Dec. 5 to place a half-cent sales tax measure on the 2024 March primary ballot. At 9%, sales tax in the unincorporated area is currently tied for the lowest among...

With rain descending on Santa Cruz County in earnest over the past week, first responders have had their hands full. On Sunday, just after 8:15pm, a California Highway Patrol officer was rear-ended while responding to a rollover on southbound Highway 17 near La Madrona Drive. “As...

Lucius Niesen is the kind of kid every parent would love to call their own. Smart, positive, well-mannered and with a smile that’s sure to melt plenty of hearts in the future, the Scotts Valley Middle School student carries a few things very well:...

Back in the 1960s when the Scotts Valley’s inaugural General Plan was unveiled, Councilmember Donna Lind was taking the minutes. On Nov. 29, Lind joined the rest of Scotts Valley City Council in approving the first big update of the guiding municipal document since the...