Featured

When the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire tore through the Santa Cruz Mountains in August 2020, homes and their residents weren’t the only things impacted and destroyed by the heat, flames and airborne embers; Big Basin Redwood State Park was largely damaged, burning 97%...

There was plenty of enthusiasm in North Santa Cruz County for America’s big 250th as thousands of people flocked to the small communities for two separate patriotic parades. A California Highway Patrol officer estimated the Boulder Creek parade, which kicked off at 10 a.m., had...

On Dec. 3, 2025, Ben Lomond resident and owner of Boulder Creek Pizza and Pub (BCP&P), Justin Acton, was outside of his home when the unthinkable happened: He was hit by neighbor Charlotte Merrill Conklin, who was driving under the influence. Acton was tossed...

San Lorenzo Valley High School’s Finn Maxwell has earned Honorable Mention for Composition in the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for the mixed-media piece “Sapere Aude.” Maxwell, who graduated in June and served as 2025-26 Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate, was one of seven students...

The town of Ben Lomond is abuzz with excitement as a new preschool gets ready to open its doors. On July 6, Busy Bees Playschool Two will officially open—the classrooms are ready, the sensory tables are filled, books line the shelves and tiny chairs...

City of Scotts Valley’s annual Fourth of July Parade returns Saturday with an extended route, road closures and safety measures in place for the community celebration, according to the Scotts Valley Police Department. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. and is expected to conclude...

Santa Cruz County has earned statewide recognition through the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Fire Risk Reduction Community List, a designation that could help qualifying homeowners receive wildfire insurance discounts while improving the county’s competitiveness for future wildfire prevention grants. The designation was...

Ben Lomond hosts potluck, square dance Ben Lomond Village Alliance will host a community potluck and square dance on Friday, July 10, at Ben Lomond County Park on Mill Street. The family-friendly event begins with a free community potluck from 6:30-7:30 p.m., followed by a square...

An early morning fire at a duplex on Willis Road displaced residents Sunday after flames heavily damaged the attached garage and spread into part of the home, according to the Scotts Valley Fire Protection District. Firefighters responded at about 5:40 a.m. on June 28 to...

Omega Nu’s annual installation of board members was held in June at Stockwell Cellars in Santa Cruz. The new board members for 2026-27 include Vicky Granger-Jones, president; Sarah Wolfsen, vice president; Michele Costa, parliamentarian; Gillian Westbrook, treasurer; Nancy Ross, scholarship chair; Jennifer Lipman, charity chair;...