Local News

SANTA CRUZ—Service Employees International Union Local 521, the union representing the majority of Santa Cruz County workers, has called for a strike after a majority of employees voted in favor of the action. While saying that they are still willing to negotiate, union officials say...

Santa Cruz Supervisor and current Board Chair Zach Friend announced Friday that he will not seek a fourth term on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.  Friend was first elected in 2012, and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2016 and 2020.  His current term ends...

Mark Meyer, 61, headed out of town for a wedding over the weekend, and on Sunday when he returned, pulling into his spacious driveway perched at the top of rural Scotts Valley near Lodato Park, he noticed a protrusion along the ridgeline toward Aptos. The...

For nearly 15 years, Lisa Robinson has had her hand in the development and trajectory of the San Lorenzo Valley Museum.  With two locations—one in Boulder Creek and the other in Felton—Robinson oversees both venues and works closely with her staff to arrange exhibits, write...

Scotts Valley has just over half-a-year to develop a Housing Element that other communities can take years to get across the finish line. But it burst out of the starting gate April 5 with a joint Planning Commission/City Council study session that found the community...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new ordinance which, if given final approval on March 8, will impose a one-year “cooling off” period during which former County employees would be prohibited from engaging in lobbying activities for...

Even though no fireworks displays were held in Santa Cruz County this Independence Day (well, not legal ones at least), a pair of North County events successfully rallied patriots. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office estimated 4,000 people attended the Boulder Creek parade, which started...

Scotts Valley Council members recently got a look at the City’s response to the Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury report that was highly critical of the municipality’s failure to build its fair share of housing over the years, contributing to California’s severe housing...

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...

By their own admission, 18-year-old Marina Ruiz felt pretty “lost” during freshman and junior years. “I didn’t really have an idea of who I was as a person,” Ruiz said. “I wasn’t really confident as a student. I kind of sold myself short.” But now, as...