Local News

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

As the holiday season approaches, San Lorenzo Valley residents begin to make their lists, clip their Safeway coupons and prepare their pantries for the weeks ahead. Lynn Robinson’s team at Valley Churches United (VCU) in Ben Lomond have also been ramping up in preparation...

The city of Scotts Valley has agreed to settle a lawsuit, over damage caused by stormwater drainage, for $600,000. According to Frederick H. Ebey, of Watsonville-based Grunsky Law Firm, the City has agreed to pay his client, Scott Beam, $450,000, for erosion at his Bean...