Local News

The Superior Court of Santa Cruz County is inviting applications for the 2025-26 Civil Grand Jury, an independent 19-member panel that investigates local government operations and addresses citizen concerns. Informational meetings and open houses will take place at various library locations throughout April: Wednesday, April 16,...

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...

After young Santa Cruz Mountains resident Brayan Francis belted out a rousing rendition of the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Bobbie Ward, the owner of Performance Vocals—who once sang for President Ronald Reagan—kicked off Scotts Valley’s Fourth of July festivities Sunday: “Alright, let’s get this parade...

Last October, when Mayor Derek Timm learned the community had been selected by Target Corp. as the site of one of its next locations, he was elated. “I called the city manager and said ‘You’re not going to believe this,’” he said, remembering the exchange...

Each year, Ben Lomond’s Little People’s Repertory Theater (LPRT) for children 8-14 hosts its annual summer theater program, culminating in a public performance that’s part campy, part sci-fi, part Marvel-ous and 100% original. In 2020, LPRT Executive Director Jannine Chadwick held her breath as she...

Updated Jan. 30 at 1:45pm. The teenager who was shot to death during a party in Boulder Creek Saturday night was identified Monday by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office as 18-year-old Rowan Parham. Deputies on Sunday arrested a juvenile suspected in the shooting death. Authorities are...

Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors recently approved a plan aimed at improving emergency response planning and communication in the Loma Prieta area of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a community that straddles the Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County lines. Earlier, in November, Supervisor Joe...

A new report underscores how Santa Cruz County’s agricultural sector not only supports local families and the region’s economy and heritage but also provides value to the local environment and vital ecosystems. According to the recently released “Economic Contributions of Santa Cruz County Agriculture” report,...

Juliette McLaughlin has been pirouetting her way through life since the age of 6. The Scotts Valley teen and Harbor High School senior has been dancing with Santa Cruz Ballet for 12 years, and she’s ready to take her next big assemblé into professional...