Local News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a plan to move the county’s public defender services from a private law firm to one run by the County. The plan has garnered support from the current public defenders, as well as...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—After nearly three decades running the county’s elections department, Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin will retire at the end of the year. Pellerin made the announcement Thursday, a little more than a week after what many are calling the most significant election...

On Oct. 27 Santa Cruz County entered the Orange Tier of the state’s Covid-19 reopening plan. The lowered rate of positive tests has enabled many more businesses to open with precautions, such as indoor waxing and bookstores, and increased capacity at restaurants, movie theaters...

In its second year of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), Pacific Gas and Electric Company has implemented greater organization to inform their customers of these events. PG&E has updated its PSPS procedure to affect fewer customers. It has also pledged to restore almost all...

Like all school districts, San Lorenzo Valley Unified has had to make hard decisions regarding distance learning strategies and cancelled sports seasons, but the Covid-19 pandemic threw a new wrinkle into a time-honored process: the election/appointment of a new member to its board of...

This year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Toys For Tots will not be hosting public collection sites for toy donations for the first time in its history. Normally, the collection points at fire stations and businesses throughout the county are responsible for the lion’s share...

Volunteers and families gathered, socially distant, at the end of October to disperse quilts to survivors of the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire.  The Quilt Drive, formed by members of the Pajaro Valley Quilt Association (PVQA), came together in a little less than a month,...

Frightened of a blank calendar this Halloween? Never fear. There are many fun and Covid-19-safe opportunities this year.  According to a 1,000-parent survey conducted by See’s Candies, a little over 50 percent of families plan to stay in this Halloween, with a movie. However, for...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—California health officials on Tuesday moved Santa Cruz County into the less restrictive “Moderate” or Orange tier, meaning that several businesses can reopen and welcome in more customers. The move means that the county is seeing 1-3.9 new cases per 100,00 in population....