Local News

In a wool sport coat he’d picked up while in Manhattan, Scotts Valley outgoing Mayor Jack Dilles glanced over to see the man taking his job approaching. There was Vice Mayor Randy Johnson in a striking navy blue suit and tie. “You look great,” Dilles...

Californians know to expect the unexpected. From earthquakes shaking us awake to wildfires racing through our mountains to tsunamis rocking the boats in our harbors, our great state offers breathtaking beauty mixed with a little unnerving excitement.  In recent years, residents of the Golden State...

While meeting in the scorching heat at Trinity Bible Church in Felton on Friday afternoon, a group was awaiting a tour of Fall Creek where they’d receive a history lesson about the complex interplay between tan oaks, Douglas fir and coast redwoods over the...

Firefighters throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains were blanketed in surprise on June 29 when three women showed up with a number of free, hand-made quilts. Almost 80 firefighters from the Boulder Creek, Felton, Zayante and Ben Lomond fire protection districts received the gifts, which were...

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,...

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...

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...

Organizers for the Santa Cruz County Fair say they are preparing for a complete in-person return of the annual event in September. Carnival rides, livestock shows, floriculture, arts and crafts, the Agricultural History Project, food booths, the pumpkin contest and the apple pie contest—they’re all...

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...