Local News

He did tours on the Dixie Fire to the north and the Estrada Fire in Watsonville and trained new recruits from around Santa Cruz County. For his efforts, Capt. John Amadeo has been named Firefighter of the Year at Zayante Fire Protection District, for...

A little over a week ago, 12-year-old Felton resident Luke Smith got wind that the old Rite Aid building in his hometown would be reopening within days. And on March 2, at about 7:20am, he cruised over there with his 10-year-old sister Elsie, as Felton...

On Tuesday, new Scotts Valley City Manager Mali LaGoe went for a tour of the library building currently undergoing a full renovation and was greeted by a familiar face. Yolande Wilburn, who just succeeded Susan Nemitz as director of Santa Cruz Public Libraries after overseeing...

She was a hacker turned military operative, a surfer, a sailing instructor and a culinary artist who studied under Julia Child. Now locals are grieving the death of Judith “Mickey” Phelps, who died after battling lung cancer, saying she was one of the community’s most...

A man convicted of raping multiple women in the early 1980s whose plan to live in Bonny Doon faced steep opposition is again seeking his freedom—this time without a permanent residence lined up. Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Syda Cogliati said Monday that she...

Construction of a new 7,500-square-foot clubhouse in Scotts Valley for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County has secured $1 million in federal funding, announced U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta on Nov. 20. The clubhouse will benefit the children of Scotts Valley and surrounding...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance that prohibits so-called “discriminatory reports” to law enforcement, and allows victims to seek financial compensation when it happens to them. Discriminatory reporting was brought to public light in 2020, when...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) on Friday announced it has named Michael Tree its new CEO/General Manager. Tree has nearly three decades of experience in the public transit industry and city management, most recently as Executive Director of the Livermore Amador Valley...

Banned Books Week celebration runs through Saturday Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) has joined the celebration of Banned Books Week during the first week of October, hosting events highlighting the ongoing issues of literary censorship and book bans across the country. Banned Books Week takes place...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a temporary ordinance prohibiting new cannabis cultivation licenses within 500 feet of residential structures. The moratorium stemmed from the supervisor’s Aug. 24 meeting, during which they discussed potential conflicts between residential parcels and...