Local News

Back in the 1960s when the Scotts Valley’s inaugural General Plan was unveiled, Councilmember Donna Lind was taking the minutes. On Nov. 29, Lind joined the rest of Scotts Valley City Council in approving the first big update of the guiding municipal document since the...

Over the past year, Santa Cruz Community Health clocked 1,700 patient visits at its Mountain Health Center in Ben Lomond, which opened in early 2022. The organization is continuing to deepen its roots in the San Lorenzo Valley, including through a fentanyl-antidote-distribution drive at the...

A local resident who contends he’s been overcharged for water service for several years says he’s now willing to accept Scott Valley Water District’s offer of three years of back pay. Now David McNair, who took over as SVWD’s general manager Nov. 1, says while...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved nearly $10 million in relief for Santa Cruz County families affected by two natural disasters this year, as their Silicon Valley neighbors are just now being told they can apply too. FEMA has processed $3,539,828 worth of...

A fire that grew to a half-acre in the Santa Cruz Mountains was extinguished quickly Friday morning before it could threaten the nearby communities of Boulder Creek and Brookdale, authorities said. The fire broke out before 6:30am, said Ben Lomond Fire Protection District Chief Stacie...

While some retirees may sail off into the sunset, California Highway Patrol Capt. Aaron Ching is taking a new approach to that old adage as he prepares to paddle into the sunset. Thanks to Neftali Espino of Honeymoon Surfboards and efforts by CHP staff, Ching...

Scotts Valley City Council during its Feb. 16 meeting voted unanimously to skip collecting fees for a pair of upcoming fundraisers, including an event where firefighters will compete against each other to support people who have suffered burns. Speaking as a dispatch radio sang intermittently...

Starting this weekend, a Scotts Valley podcast focusing on protecting children will begin rolling out a series of episodes. Stephanie Barron Lu, co-chair of the Children's Network of Santa Cruz County who co-hosts the programming with Robert Aldana, a Scotts Valley-based realtor, says she’s confident...

Santa Cruz County First District Supervisor Manu Koenig, in collaboration with Fourth District Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, urged an operational review of how County Public Works projects are awarded to ensure that the contractors selected pay their workers fairly and complete projects on time. The Dec....

Surfnet Communications Inc., a leading internet service provider for underserved Central Coast communities, has been awarded $10 million by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for its new initiative to extend high-speed, fiber broadband services to rural communities in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and...