Local News

The mountain town of Ben Lomond has many cool attributes: a beautiful art center, community hall, biker bar, good restaurants and open spaces. Now, the town can add one more feather to its cap: a dedicated space for veterans to call home. Jaye’s Timberlane on...

With many Santa Cruz County venues trying to crack the code for live music’s Covid-era return, Felton Music Hall has announced it will be trying something radical this summer: pods.  “Sometimes when you’re forced to make changes, great things come about,” said Cory Atkinson, who...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—At least 5,600 doses of vaccinations for the novel coronavirus have been distributed throughout Santa Cruz County, a number that county health officials at a Friday press conference said has been significantly impacted by plodding distribution from the state. Overall, the county has...

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday dismantled an illegal butane honey oil lab in Boulder Creek containing more than $2 million of cannabis concentrate. Deputies found the lab inside a specially built outbuilding on the 600 block of Hartman Creek Road, according to...

Realtor Robert Aldana of Keller Williams Realty recalls with clarity the moment the tide changed for Scotts Valley’s real estate market.  Earlier this year, Aldana finalized the sale of a home near Skypark for about $1.4 million—signaling a major shift in the industry for the...

During a closed session meeting on Tuesday, the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District agreed to let one of the educators being investigated for sexual misconduct—Teacher 178—resign. Mark Becker, the SLVUSD Board Clerk, made a motion that was seconded by Trustee Grace Pollak to accept...

In a stunning move, San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) Director Tina Marie To resigned from her position on the board via email on March 18.  After serving for just three months, Director To, whose focus and specialty was “a passion for all things water...

The end of the month seemed to approach faster than usual for Shirli McLaughlin. The 76-year-old Felton resident, a longtime Ben Lomond shopkeeper, was told her current rental was being sold. “It’s an important word, ‘home’—don’t you think?” she asked rhetorically, May 27. “That, and...

When 71-year-old Boulder Creek resident Kathleen Kelley heard her favorite eatery in Scotts Valley, Chubby’s Diner, was closing down, she was livid. She tried contacting the City and the corporate office of Target (which is moving in nearby) but didn’t get immediate answers. “They snuck...

Thirteen-year-old Chase Petersen loves sports. Put him on a basketball court, a soccer pitch, baseball diamond or a football field, and the San Lorenzo Valley Middle School student shines brightly.  The straight-A student is going to take that energy and determination to Florida next month...