Local News

Arrest made in Santa Cruz County freeway shooting Detectives assigned to the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Coastal Division Investigative Services Unit, working in partnership with detectives from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), have arrested 33-year-old Raphael Shakur Abduh-Salam of Hayward, Calif., after identifying...

Just as the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District sorted out one inappropriate-behavior situation, another materialized. Trustees had voted to let teacher Eric Kahl resign, at their Sept. 14, 2021, board meeting, after learning he’d subjected female students to unwelcome sexual advances (in exchange, Kahl...

Santa Cruz County First District Supervisor Manu Koenig, in collaboration with Fourth District Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, urged an operational review of how County Public Works projects are awarded to ensure that the contractors selected pay their workers fairly and complete projects on time. The Dec....

A century ago, Alba Road—between Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek—was home to Walter Ranch, which boasted 5,000 strawberry plants, the pioneering Guichard family, easy access to about a dozen saloons, and a cute one-room schoolhouse built in 1985 1895. This early educational institution was devoured...

Scotts Valley Police officers met with an elderly adult on Dec. 12 regarding the theft, and subsequent fraudulent use, of his debit card.  The 71-year-old victim had been at the Safeway store when a female approached him saying he had dropped a $20 bill. When...

While some retirees may sail off into the sunset, California Highway Patrol Capt. Aaron Ching is taking a new approach to that old adage as he prepares to paddle into the sunset. Thanks to Neftali Espino of Honeymoon Surfboards and efforts by CHP staff, Ching...

In a wool sport coat he’d picked up while in Manhattan, Scotts Valley outgoing Mayor Jack Dilles glanced over to see the man taking his job approaching. There was Vice Mayor Randy Johnson in a striking navy blue suit and tie. “You look great,” Dilles...

Board approves sales tax measure for March ballot Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Dec. 5 to place a half-cent sales tax measure on the 2024 March primary ballot. At 9%, sales tax in the unincorporated area is currently tied for the lowest among...

With rain descending on Santa Cruz County in earnest over the past week, first responders have had their hands full. On Sunday, just after 8:15pm, a California Highway Patrol officer was rear-ended while responding to a rollover on southbound Highway 17 near La Madrona Drive. “As...

Back in the 1960s when the Scotts Valley’s inaugural General Plan was unveiled, Councilmember Donna Lind was taking the minutes. On Nov. 29, Lind joined the rest of Scotts Valley City Council in approving the first big update of the guiding municipal document since the...