Jury to weigh verdict in $72M suit against Caltrans
Closing arguments began Wednesday in a $72 million lawsuit against the California Department of Transportation that seeks to pin the agency with the majority of the blame for the death of a pedestrian along Highway 9 in the Felton area.
Dana Scruggs, of Santa Cruz-based...
What’s the best way to grow a forest?
Felton resident Karen Holl’s talk at her hometown library Feb. 3 occurred just as a storm rolled in underscoring just how intrinsically linked our lives are with those of Plantae kingdom—as tree litter would soon carpet the landscape and one person would be killed...
The Mountain Gardener | Rx for Sad Houseplants
It’s been a tough couple weeks for my houseplants. Power outages from recent storms made me move my African violet, which was just starting to bloom over to a window for more light. Others are staged on tabletops. I know my houseplants clean the...
Hidden Oaks Garage Fire Extinguished Quickly
Firefighters put out a midday garage fire at the Hidden Oaks condominium complex in Scotts Valley in under an hour Monday.
Acting Battalion Chief Garrett Grieg, of the Scotts Valley Fire Protection District, said the blaze was primarily contained to a single parking unit just...
Santa Cruz County offers free safety inspection to reduce fire dangers
Whether it’s the 2017 Thomas Fire in Ventura, the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County or the 2020 CZU Fire in Santa Cruz County, hundreds of thousands of Californians have been impacted by the ravages of wildfires, resulting in the destruction and loss of...
Jayne & Co. salon plans expansion at new Felton location
It’s a Wednesday afternoon and Sydney Jayne, 42, is in an empty room with walls as white as a blank painter’s canvas. Milky rays spin in through the skylight she installed with her boyfriend Tachu Soto, for the new incarnation of her Jayne &...
Santa Cruz County earns age-friendly designation
In line with state and local efforts to develop a statewide Master Plan for Aging, the County of Santa Cruz has announced it has been designated an “Age-Friendly Community” by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
The County’s Human Services Department sought the designation...
Big Basin Redwoods State Park launches summer shuttle service for weekends, holidays
Just in time for the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend, California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks have announced that access to Big Basin Redwoods State Park will increase this summer with the addition of a free pilot shuttle program, a...
Open Studios Art Tour ends strong despite rainy conditions
On Sunday, residents and visitors from further afield fanned out across Santa Cruz County for the final day of Open Studios Art Tour 2023, where people get to peek inside spaces integral to creation.
For Gina Firpo, a 31-year resident of the San Lorenzo Valley...
Scotts Valley gets below-average grade for quality of roads
At its most recent regularly-scheduled meeting, Scotts Valley City Council heard from a consultant that it didn’t do so well on the pavement condition index (PCI), with more than a third of its roads rating “poor” or “failed.”
Scotts Valley has 32.1 miles of paved...
Final paving, striping on Highway 9 continues this week
A major maintenance paving project continues on Highway 9 between El Solyo Heights Drive in Felton and California Drive in Ben Lomond.
Travelers on Highway...