Local News

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...

St. Patrick’s Day is a time to celebrate with friends, family and good cheer. However, as the festivities often include alcohol, Scotts Valley Police Department is urging everyone to prioritize safety and avoid driving under the influence. Don’t rely on luck—plan ahead and make...

SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz County’s new Public Defender office began operations on July 1, and the department’s roughly 60 employees celebrated the occasion with a barbecue in the backyard of its May Avenue headquarters.  The new office includes an increased number of attorneys, in addition to...

The humming, buzzing and echoing inside the Boulder Creek facility that prepares drinking water for the San Lorenzo Valley makes one feel like they’re at an aquatic center. That the San Lorenzo Valley Water District uses a chlorine disinfection process (sodium hydrochloride)—alongside the tiny...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The county’s tourist hotspots—along with its restaurants and hotels—can expect a slight uptick in business this summer from Californians seeking to hit the road for short road trips, according to a survey released Wednesday by Visit Santa Cruz County (VSCC). This prediction is...

Last week, Scotts Valley held the unboxing of the $79,873 wastewater study it ordered for itself from Kennedy/Jenks Consultants Inc., during its regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Aug. 17. But unlike a small gadget shipped from Amazon, what the elected officials do with the...

In 2020, Big Basin Water Company (BBWC) suffered catastrophic losses to its infrastructure due to the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire, which ripped through the housing of the water company and left it completely devastated, resulting in a 100% loss of water for the...

If necessity is the mother of invention, then the pandemic has proven to be the father of reinvention. The Boulder Creek Recreation and Park District (BCRPD) has long provided education, exercise, entertainment and support for local families. Since the addition of Hallie Greene as general...

San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) recently announced it has approved a contract for Brian Frus to be interim general manager, succeeding General Manager Rick Rogers, who retired in November after working for the District for 48 years. Frus, a registered civil engineer who lives...

ZAYANTE—After more than 27 years of service to the Zayante Fire Protection District, John Stipes hung up his white helmet for the final time on July 23.  Stipes, 59, joined Zayante Fire in 1994 as a volunteer firefighter. He retires with the longest current tenure...