Supervisor Zach Friend announces he will not seek reelection in 2024
Santa Cruz Supervisor and current Board Chair Zach Friend announced Friday that he will not seek a fourth term on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.
Friend was first elected in 2012, and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2016 and 2020. His current term ends...
SVUSD considered calling CPS over boy’s pandemic protest
Court documents in a lawsuit brought by a 7-year-old Brook Knoll Elementary School student against the Scotts Valley Unified School District show the superintendent considered calling Child Protective Services (CPS) on the parents of the boy, who was protesting the District’s Covid-19 control measures.
They...
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...
Sheriff’s Office hosts active shooter drills at San Lorenzo Valley campus
A voice rings out over the handheld radio: “Numerous callers reporting gunfire in the middle school gym.” With that, the first active shooter scenario of the afternoon kicks into gear.
On July 14, at the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District tri-campus, the Santa Cruz...
Slew of road construction projects set to begin for San Lorenzo Valley
Highway 9 to close at Jaye’s Slide for utility work
Highway 9 at Jaye’s Slide (PM 8.8) in Ben Lomond will be closed in both directions for utility work on Friday, July 28, from 9pm-6am, and Friday, Aug. 4, from 8am-8pm.
Jaye’s Slide is located on...
Man suffers burns in Ben Lomond structure fire
A fire that broke out in a cabin at a construction company yard about a mile north of Ben Lomond on Tuesday spread to vehicles and storage containers on the property and left a man with serious burns, authorities said.
A Ben Lomond Fire Protection...
Alcohol suspected in Boulder Creek crash that killed man, injured another
A 34-year-old man was killed, and his passenger seriously hurt, after the truck he was driving struck a tree and flipped over just after 5pm yesterday, north of Boulder Creek, authorities said.
The driver, Steven Taggart, 34, was headed towards town on Highway 9, south...
Meeting gives update on potential Big Basin Water Company receivership
On July 13, the Highlands Park Senior Center was teeming with frustrated San Lorenzo Valley residents. Customers of Big Basin Water Company (BBWC) gathered—in-person and virtually—to get updates on the potential receivership being planned for the utility following years of failing infrastructure and fiscal...
Joint meeting delves into creation of Scotts Valley’s Housing Element
During the joint special meeting of the Scotts Valley Council and Planning Commission, held at the end of last month, the City’s plan for future residential development came into focus.
Over the upcoming eight years, the City is required to plan for 1,220 homes, including...
Supervisors vote to establish Third-party Plan Check program in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has voted to establish a Third-party Plan Check (TPC) program that will give permit seekers the option to get their plans reviewed primarily by a consultant they hire, rather than county staff.
The program, proposed by Supervisors Manu Koenig...
Highway 17 overnight lane closures in Scotts Valley begin Monday
Construction work on Highway 17 in Scotts Valley from south of Mt. Hermon Road to one-half mile north of Glenwood Drive will result in...