Local News

Every January, the new year brings with it dozens of new laws that impact day-to-day life in many different ways. Here we bring you a few we find notable, from criminal justice reform to animal welfare to workplace rules. From inmate to firefighter During the massive...

The Superior Court of Santa Cruz County is inviting applications for the 2025-26 Civil Grand Jury, an independent 19-member panel that investigates local government operations and addresses citizen concerns. Informational meetings and open houses will take place at various library locations throughout April: Wednesday, April 16,...

FELTON—Dave Poetzinger, who has spent the past 28 years as a coach at San Lorenzo Valley High School, has put on the headset for the final time. The Cougars’ lead man coached his final game on April 17 against Harbor High. His student-athletes gave him...

SANTA CRUZ—A woman died early Wednesday in a two-alarm fire that broke out in the former Sobering Center in Santa Cruz. Around 2:30am 9-1-1 dispatchers received numerous calls about a fire spreading through the two-story Victorian wood structure that had been boarded up since the...

A wrongful dismissal lawsuit brought forth by a long-time Scotts Valley Police Department officer accused of sexual harassment claims multiple instances of sexually-inappropriate behavior within the force were never properly investigated. While David Ball’s complaint is primarily centered on the assertion he was discriminated against...

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...

A severely underweight horse (Serif), a wild alpine weanling (Jamaal) and an abused mustang (Willow) have been taken into the care of Canham Farm Horse Rescue, a nonprofit horse rescue and rehabilitation center in Scotts Valley that is asking for financial donations and volunteers...

Scotts Valley Planning Commission has voted to recommend the city’s Draft Housing Element to the Scotts Valley City Council for approval. No members of the public spoke during the public comment period, and commissioners engaged in no discussion of the critical planning document before it...

The San Lorenzo Valley lost a titan of teaching on Sept. 2. Rob Lahey, a beloved math teacher and member of the San Lorenzo Valley community, died of cancer. He was 55 years old. Lahey began his career in education teaching math at SLV Middle...