County Appeals to Governor After Wildfire Cleanup Contractor Vanishes
Following a litany of resident testimony from wildfire victims on Tuesday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors became convinced a cleanup contractor that made a quarter-billion dollars in the wake of wildfire destruction left another disaster behind.
They voted unanimously to reach out to...
Supervisors approve redistricting map that will ‘reunify’ Scotts Valley
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a plan to redistribute some 3,400 residents—the majority in the northern reaches of the county—as part of the county’s decennial redistricting process.
Under the plan, 491 people in Watsonville’s Apple Hill District will shift from...
Judge Paves Way for Sexually Violent Predator to Move to Bonny Doon
The gasps and cries of “oh my God” and “sick” were so loud, as it became clear Judge Syda Cogliati was about to approve the placement of sexually violent predator Michael Cheek in Bonny Doon, the Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge had to...
Brookdale Lodge Deemed Historical Location
Santa Cruz County is replete with points of interest and historical locations. From the Mystery Spot to Wilder Ranch to Felton Covered Bridge, the area is rich in cultural experiences that blend the past with the present, like the Brookdale Lodge.
Built in 1890, with...
The Mat Brings Fresh Tech to Boulder Creek
These days, everything is “smart.” Smartphones. Smartwatches. How about a smart laundromat?
Behold The Mat in Boulder Creek, formerly the Village Wash. Run by third-generation laundromat owner Brandon Parker and his fiancé Erin Hexem, it’s the first smart laundromat in Boulder Creek, and one of...
Utility Regulator Turns Up Heat On PG&E After Recent Outages
A California energy regulator has become so vexed with troubled power provider PG&E following months of planned and unplanned outages it’s started to crackdown.
In a Nov. 1 letter to Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Chair Bruce McPherson, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) President...
Volunteer Firefighters Recall Harrowing Dixie Days
When Zayante firefighters got the call at 7:11pm on Aug. 4 that their services were needed on the Dixie Fire, they had just hours to pack and deploy.
It would be two weeks of grueling attacks, sleepless nights and ever-present danger, battling what would turn...
Mayor’s ask could unify Scotts Valley in upcoming redistricting
A decade after Scotts Valley was split in two by redistricting, that city could be “reunified” under a proposal introduced to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
The proposal is among several recommendations the board is considering as the county redraws its supervisorial...
Sheriff’s Office: Most Residents Stayed During Evacuations
When it rains, it pours—especially in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is designated as a temperate rainforest biome. While Southern California has dabbled in drought for years on end, the Santa Cruz region has a feast-or-famine approach to rainfall in the winter months. The...
Council Approves $6,000 for Tree Lighting | News Briefs
The Scotts Valley City Council has approved $6,000 for a tree lighting at the Walgreens parking lot in the King's Village Shopping Center next month.
Traditionally the event has been funded by the Scotts Valley Parks & Recreation Advocates nonprofit, but that organization is currently...
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...
