Valley Churches United’s Holiday Market Returns
After a long day at the Valley Churches United storefront in downtown Ben Lomond, 70-year-old volunteer Mary Koehring is tallying up the receipts. It’s the fifth year the Boulder Creek residents assisted with the nonprofit’s Valley Christmas Project, which raises money for families in...
Governor Gavin Newsom Returns to Central Coast for Another Storm Damage Tour
California Governor Gavin Newsom was once again along the Central Coast, Wednesday, getting a tour of storm damage after intense weather patterns continued to devastate the region.
This time, he was in Pajaro to see the results of flooding, alongside Santa Cruz County Fourth District...
Art, Wine & Beer Fest saved at ‘11th hour’ with help of new council member
Planning for the two-day Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival, scheduled for Aug. 16-17, was about to be derailed when discussions between the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce and the City got back on track with the help of Councilmember Steve Clark, who...
Santa Cruz Mountains Classic Car Show continues disaster recovery efforts
Elwin Haddix is 80 years old and “still ridin’” his 1997 Harley Heritage Springer. He’d been planning a three-day, 1,000-mile trip for nine people.
“We used to do more, but we’re getting old,” he said.
But first, he had to make a stop at the Santa...
News Briefs | Published Feb. 21, 2025
New exhibit explores history of legendary winemaker Paul Masson
The Saratoga Historical Foundation is featuring Paul Masson (1859-1940), the winemaker who earned the nickname “Champagne King of California" in an exhibit.
Masson was a pioneer in California viticulture and known for his sparkling wine and sparkling...
San Lorenzo Valley Museum strikes ‘gold’ with Felton exhibition
While each of our 50 states has its own nickname, California is known fondly as “The Golden State,” and rightfully so. From the abundance of golden poppies that decorate the state in the spring to its history as the birthplace of the Gold Rush...
Scotts Valley Man Gets 4-Month Sentence for Fraud
A Scotts Valley man who defrauded investors through a medical-technology-financing scheme has been sentenced to four months in custody.
Jason Nielsen, a man in his late 40s who pleaded guilty earlier this year, also received three years of supervised release and a $50,000 fine, Oct....
Longtime rec manager sues City of Scotts Valley for disability discrimination
Kristin Ard, a longtime municipal worker who’s been battling cancer, is suing the City of Scotts Valley for disability discrimination.
Known affectionately around town as “Kard,” she was at the helm of the Recreation Division since taking over from Conrad Sudduth in 2012.
Back then, according...
Measure Q gets underway with citizen oversight, funding allocation
With the overwhelming approval of Measure Q, formally known as the “Santa Cruz County Safe Drinking Water, Clean Beaches, Wildfire Risk Reduction and Wildlife Protection Act,” County staff and partners are establishing the structure necessary to fulfill voters’ vision, including soliciting members of the...
Residents face uncertainty as home insurance options dwindle amid fire risks
There was a moment, about an hour and a half into City of Scotts Valley’s wildfire preparedness meeting May 14, when the stark reality of the current home insurance landscape in California came into focus.
Vice Mayor Derek Timm, at the podium, asked for a...
News Briefs | Published July 4, 2025
Tree removal leads to temporary closure on Big Basin Highway
Caltrans will temporarily close a section of southbound Highway 236 (Big Basin Highway) left on...