Local News

They’re an average of eight pounds, with distinct pink scales, and in this area, they’re officially endangered. Local coho salmon have declined more than 95% from their historic population level, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. The main culprit is the degradation of spawning...

Berkeley resident Alexandria Luevanos pleaded not guilty Monday in Santa Cruz Superior Court to four charges in connection with a vehicle pursuit through Scotts Valley in which police say her passenger shot at CHP officers. Meanwhile, her co-defendant, Kristopher Rosario Payopay, 40, of Lathrop, Calif.,...

Santa Cruz Gives, a countywide crowdfunding holiday campaign, will raise funds for 63 local nonprofits in its eighth season, which started on Nov. 16 and will run until midnight, Dec. 31.  On SantaCruzGives.org, donors may browse individual profile pages to learn about each nonprofit's mission...

Santa Cruz County is expected to move from the purple “widespread” tier to the less restrictive red “substantial” tier when the state updates its tier assignments next week, County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said. That means several indoor business operations could reopen on March...

Scotts Valley residents could see an increase in wastewater rates as the city looks to fund improvements to its collection and treatment system. The last time the Scotts Valley City Council voted to increase wastewater rates, which currently sit at $46.49 a month for single-family...

In 1989, Northern California was rocked by the Loma Prieta earthquake, which was centered in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz. The 6.9 quake was responsible for $6 billion in damages (close to $40 billion in today’s dollars), 63 deaths...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Office of Education (COE) has launched a dashboard that summarizes Covid-19 testing results across schools countywide. The dashboard is a partnership with school districts, Inspire Diagnostics and the Santa Cruz County Department of Public Health, COE spokesman Nick Ibarra...

First responders are key to keeping San Lorenzo Valley residents safe in the face of potential emergency situations, but there are other civilian groups that are stepping up to help fill in the gaps. Enter the San Lorenzo Valley Emergency Network (SLVEN). On Oct. 2,...

On July 13, the Highlands Park Senior Center was teeming with frustrated San Lorenzo Valley residents. Customers of Big Basin Water Company (BBWC) gathered—in-person and virtually—to get updates on the potential receivership being planned for the utility following years of failing infrastructure and fiscal...

Living in a tight-knit community like the San Lorenzo Valley has its advantages. When a neighbor needs assistance or a business is in trouble, locals rally to help. And when hundreds of residents lose their homes in a devastating wildfire and are in desperate...