COVID-19

After vaccinating roughly 4,500 teachers and staff, County Office of Education Superintendent Faris Sabbah, alongside 10 school district superintendents, announced on Feb. 25 to more than 700 attendees that public districts would begin full hybridization in March. “Throughout the pandemic students, parents and school personnel...

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the United States was “on track” to have enough supply of coronavirus vaccines “for every adult in America by the end of May,” accelerating his effort to deliver the nation from the worst public health crisis in a...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to join a state-run rent relief program, which makes more than $16 million in federal funds available to local renters unable to pay their rent and utilities due to...

By Juan Reyes, Staff Reporter The wait for most youth sports just became a lot shorter as the California Department of Public Health released an updated version of its guidance, meaning that schools and privately organized clubs or leagues could begin full contact practice and...

By Stacy Cowley and Jim Tankersley, of The New York Times Aiming to put its own stamp on the Paycheck Protection Program, the Biden administration on Monday abruptly changed crucial program rules in ways intended to help the smallest and neediest companies, which have sometimes...

Covid-19 vaccinations for Santa Cruz County residents are being expanded to include workers in education and childcare, emergency services, and food and agriculture industries, the county announced today. Eligibility will be based on occupation definitions from the California Department of Public Health, according to the...

Santa Cruz County’s adjusted case rate recently fell below the state’s threshold (28 per 100,000 per day) needed to reopen in-class instruction for grades K-6, health officials announced at a press conference on Feb. 4. That means local school districts could start applying to the...

Late January the Vine Hill elementary PTA announced an online auction beginning Feb. 5 and continuing until the PTA’s first-ever virtual live auction on Feb. 20, hosted by Robert Aldana, Bobbie Ward and Garvin Thomas.  These two events form a part of the PTA’s fundraisers...

Jennifer Wadsworth and Mat Weir, Contributing Reporters If you ask beauty salon owners in Santa Cruz County, they’ll tell you the on-and-off lockdowns during the pandemic have been downright backward when it comes to their industry.  Deborah Riley, owner of Lavish Salon in Santa Cruz, says...

Some services, such as outdoor dining, can resume Outdoor dining and other services can resume after Gov. Gavin Newsom on Jan. 25 ended the state’s regional stay-at-home order based on intensive care unit (ICU) capacity.  In its place, the state has returned to the Blueprint for...