County’s New Public Defender Office Begins Operations
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...
Big Basin reopening next week
After nearly two years out of commission, Big Basin Redwoods State Park—the oldest State Park in California—is about to open to the public, once again.
It was closed after being ravaged by the CZU Lightning Complex fire, (97% destroyed), but on July 22, the proverbial...
New Film Honors CZU Survivors Two Years Post Blaze
In honor of the second anniversary of the CZU Lightning Complex, Mountain Community Theater (MCT) Director Peter Gelblum did something extraordinary to commemorate the event: he wrote a film about it.
Of the movie, entitled, “The CZU Fire In Their Own Words: Fighting Fires, Losing...
Ben Lomond FD Pancake Breakfast Raises $9,000
They have specially-designed new ones now, but the original red-and-white-striped shirts worn by the Ben Lomond Fire Protection District firefighters are actually authentic Australian rugby sweaters.
It’s what 21-year-old volunteer Mateo Corona was sporting behind the grill at their annual pancake breakfast fundraiser July 3.
“I’m...
Scotts Valley, Boulder Creek Deliver Classic Spectacles for Fourth
Last year, Scotts Valley was the envy of Santa Cruz County and South Bay regions, holding a Fourth of July parade when almost no other locale was able to pull one off. This year, as communities like Boulder Creek brought theirs back, now that...
Hop N’ Barley Fest Returns
Kombucha aficionados, beer guzzlers and funk fans take note, Saturday marks the in-person return of the Santa Cruz County Hop N’ Barley Beer Festival at Skypark in Scotts Valley.
Felton resident Patrick Grube, who started the event 13 years ago, says he’s looking forward to...
Real-World Scare Briefly Halts ‘Active Shooter’ Drill
Officers and firefighters running through “active shooter” drills at Scotts Valley High School had to make a quick shift into a real-world situation on June 24, when a participant’s comment about a potential threat at the campus sparked an hours-long hunt for danger.
In the...
Scotts Valley Brothers Rescue Woman from Fiery Crash
As Enns brothers Andrew, 18, and Gabriel, 21, neared their Scotts Valley home around midnight on June 25—after heading up to Sacramento to celebrate their grandmother’s 75th birthday—they saw a car swerve off the road in front of them.
“This vehicle traveling southbound on (Highway)...
Carrillo pleads guilty to Gutzwiller killing
SANTA CRUZ—The man who shot a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s sergeant to death—days after killing a federal building security guard in Oakland during a crime spree two years ago—pleaded guilty Monday to the local charges.
Steven Carrillo, 33, a former U.S. Air Force sergeant, will...
Vista Fire burns 2 acres, 90% contained
Updated June 27, 2022 at 5:22pm: 90% containment.
A fire burning along Highway 17 was 90% contained at 5:20pm after burning two acres Monday, authorities said.
Cal Fire learned of the blaze near the summit—on the Santa Cruz County side in the Alta Vista Lane area—at...
Final paving, striping on Highway 9 continues this week
A major maintenance paving project continues on Highway 9 between El Solyo Heights Drive in Felton and California Drive in Ben Lomond.
Travelers on Highway...
