Local News

After consecutive break-ins, Spanky’s Café in Ben Lomond is now missing an ATM. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office confirmed deputies responded to a report of a burglary at an establishment along the 9500 block of Highway 9 on May 12. “An ATM was stolen from...

Maybe the “sense of abandonment” felt by locals due to Sutter Health’s move to nix its Scotts Valley urgent care site wouldn’t be so profound had officials included the community in its decision-making? It was one of many questions and pointed suggestions shared during a...

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...

Following months of struggling to find a new city clerk, after the previous occupant of the role, Tracy Ferrara, announced her retirement, Scotts Valley appointed a veteran school board official to the post. And in an interview with the Press Banner during her second day...

The man charged with human trafficking and molesting children he met through the Boys and Girls Club in Scotts Valley asked a Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge if he could spend time over the holidays with his 4-year-old nephew. But, according to a minute...

It costs big bucks to ensure one of life’s essential components is fit for human consumption. And on May 25, local officials and media got to taste the $3.5 million upgrade results to the Scotts Valley Water District’s Orchard Run Water Treatment Plant, leaving...

This is the second entry in a multi-part series about debris flows. Last week’s article related how Boulder Creek Fire Department (BCFD) Fire Chief Mark Bingham worked with local agencies to determine the potential for debris flows in his district, and built a dedicated...

Coastal trail projects receive federal investment Rep. Jimmy Panetta announced a new federal investment in coastal trail projects in California’s 19th Congressional District. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $19.5 million to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) to support the segments of...

A Southern California law firm, Silver & Wright LLP, has been appointed to assume possession and control of Big Basin Water Co. following the Santa Cruz County Superior Court's approval of a receivership request by the State Water Resources Control Board. The privately owned drinking...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to hire an independent auditor for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office who would investigate such issues as citizen complaints and use of force. The move followed a report by...