Local News

Santa Cruz County has long been at the forefront of progress, both in California and the nation. Mainland surfing in the U.S. originated here (sorry, Huntington Beach), the area used to be renowned for its agriculture, and the logging industry brought lumber mills and...

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...

Brothers Bud and Lud McCrary founded Big Creek Lumber in 1946 through a combination of hard work, ingenuity, a foundation in the skilled trades and a passion for sustainable forestry.   Now, 75 years later, Big Creek Lumber is honoring that legacy and celebrating 75 years...

No news is good news, goes the old adage. And Scotts Valley Water District officials are hoping that’s the message they should take from the amount of public comment they got before approving a 5% rate hike—virtually zilch. “We had no one,” said Piret Harmon, the...

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...

The Recovery Permit Center (RPC) to assist CZU Lightning Complex survivors with all aspects of permitting for the rebuilding process recently opened, the County of Santa Cruz announced. The County is offering technical assistance, streamlined permit processes, information about pre-application clearances and support as residents...

APTOS—Plans were announced Thursday of a major renovation of Willowbrook County Park to honor the late Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was gunned down in the line of duty in 2020. The project of “reimagining” the park was announced in a brief...

A Scotts Valley man who defrauded investors through a medical-technology-financing scheme has been sentenced to four months in custody. Jason Nielsen, a man in his late 40s who pleaded guilty earlier this year, also received three years of supervised release and a $50,000 fine, Oct....

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...

For months, the lot on the corner of Mt. Hermon and Graham Hill roads in Felton has been a beehive of activity. Usually, the verdant venue known as Daybreak Camp hosts horses and their handlers, but following the CZU Lightning Complex fire the area was adopted by...