Local News

Richard F. Cortez, the top elected official in Hidalgo County, at the southern tip of Texas, is so full of anticipation for the federal stimulus money that is about to flow into his county that he has memorized the precise amount and happily recites...

APTOS—Plans were announced Thursday of a major renovation of Willowbrook County Park to honor the late Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was gunned down in the line of duty in 2020. The project of “reimagining” the park was announced in a brief...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to hire an independent auditor for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office who would investigate such issues as citizen complaints and use of force. The move followed a report by...

An educational consultant’s report has found diversity efforts at Scotts Valley Unified School District have been hampered by a “pervasive fear” of how parents would react to changes and the belief such initiatives would be “obstructed by vocal community disapproval and retaliation.” Key findings of...

Scotts Valley High senior defensive lineman Andre Nice recorded a sack and seven tackles for the Falcons in a 28-0 shutout win over rival San Lorenzo Valley High in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play on March 27. The Falcons remained undefeated at 3-0 and...

Scotts Valley has been moving on up in the retail and restaurant arena. With the opening of the shops at The Hangar, and the brand-new Target replacing K-Mart, the shopping opportunities in town are growing exponentially. Dining has always been plentiful, but the one...

The scorched earth left behind by the CZU Lightning Complex fires won’t stay barren for long. That’s according to Amy Patten, who manages the Rare Plant Treasure Hunt project at the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). “There is a lot of magic happening beneath the surface,”...

The birds are trilling from the dense evergreens. Reggae music wafts from a Bluetooth speaker hanging on a fence behind the San Lorenzo Valley High School football field. Just beyond, a greenhouse is home to innovative studies giving students a leg up in an...

The San Lorenzo Valley High School drama department has had to reinvent itself a few times in the last 18 months. From canceling its on-stage production of “Chicago” after opening weekend due to the arrival of Covid-19, to pressing forward with live, online productions...

After months of hard work, Scotts Valley High School’s (SVHS) new production “Almost, Maine” is available to stream online until March 7.  SVHS drama teacher Kendra Kannegaard describes the plot as “a collection of short vignettes on love, set in snowy Maine.” The play was...