Ukrainian family, reunited, spends first Christmas together in Scotts Valley
Last Christmas, the Ziniak family left their home in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, and headed on a fun trip across the Carpathian Mountains.
When the Russian invasion of their country began in February, Vasyl stayed behind while his wife fled to Poland—and then to the San Lorenzo...
Illegal-Search Settlement Talks Delayed Due to Lawyer’s Health Issues
In 2019, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge John Gallagher told Darin Matthews the warrant he’d issued to law enforcement didn’t give police the right to search his vehicle.
But that’s what had happened on Feb. 19 that year, as the UCSC administrator was headed...
Former Finance Director Named Scotts Valley Mayor
It was a festive scene of Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple-Cranberry and chocolate chip and sugar cookies, during a special Dec. 21 Scotts Valley City Council meeting as the new mayor and vice mayor were selected.
The evening marked the day Allan Timms—who became an American citizen...
Hate Speech, Bike Safety, Wages Get Legislative Attention This Year
Each year, the State of California leads the way when it comes to establishing new laws that will benefit the populous state of over 39 million residents. In 2023, get ready for some laws that will govern workplace pay transparency, traffic, and official holidays....
SLVUSD faces decline in funding
San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District used to teach just under 2,300 students a year, but that’s dropped to around 2,100.
And, unlike in such districts as Los Gatos-Saratoga, where residents pitch in directly through property taxes, SLVUSD gets government education funding based on how...
As Energy Bills Soar, Companies Suggest Ways to Save
Just as Bay Area gasoline prices have finally dipped below the $4 a gallon line at select stations, after rising above $7 a gallon at some pumps this summer, home-heating costs are rising.
However, as the icy breath of winter nips at the necks of...
One Found Dead in Burning Car Along Pacific Coast Highway
First responders raced along Pacific Coast Highway, Dec. 14 around 6pm, as flames shot above a car sitting motionless at an oceanside turnout north of Scott Creek in Swanton.
When firefighters and the California Highway Patrol arrived, they found a dead body inside the four-door...
Reversing Vehicle Hits and Kills Davenport Woman
A 76-year-old Davenport pedestrian was killed Dec. 16 after she was struck by a fellow community member’s vehicle at Swanton Road, just east of Pacific Coast Highway.
The incident occurred around 3pm as a 77-year-old male driver, also from Davenport, was reversing a 2002 Ford...
Council Paves Way for Scotts Valley’s First-Ever ‘Mixed-Use’ Development
When you exit Highway 17 at the offramp to downtown Scotts Valley and look to your right upon arrival at the Welcome sign, you’ll see a sloping field ringed by trees, a gas station and residential subdivisions.
But a new gateway to the community has...
Scotts Valley Man Gets 4-Month Sentence for Fraud
A Scotts Valley man who defrauded investors through a medical-technology-financing scheme has been sentenced to four months in custody.
Jason Nielsen, a man in his late 40s who pleaded guilty earlier this year, also received three years of supervised release and a $50,000 fine, Oct....
News Briefs | Published July 4, 2025
Tree removal leads to temporary closure on Big Basin Highway
Caltrans will temporarily close a section of southbound Highway 236 (Big Basin Highway) left on...