Local News

Scotts Valley has hired an interim city manager, as it begins its search for a permanent replacement for Tina Friend, who recently took the city manager position in Coronado. Brian Haddix, a retired long-time municipal employee from the Central Valley, says he’s thrilled to be...

As the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District community looks ahead to exciting infrastructure upgrades, it is simultaneously battling severe Covid-19 learning loss. Trustees got both positive and negative news during the regularly scheduled board meeting Tuesday. Superintendent Chris Schiermeyer said the district’s “final expenditures” for...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a plan to ease some requirements for property owners looking to rebuild from the CZU Lightning Complex fires. Under the change, county officials will not consider Santa Cruz County Code 16.10—which requires geologic review before...

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...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a temporary ordinance prohibiting new cannabis cultivation licenses within 500 feet of residential structures. The moratorium stemmed from the supervisor’s Aug. 24 meeting, during which they discussed potential conflicts between residential parcels and...

The community of Bonny Doon sits perched atop Ben Lomond Mountain, in the Coast Range. Thanks to its proximity to Monterey Bay, the area is a rich, fertile place to grow a variety of vegetables and fruit, but there’s one category of produce that...

The San Lorenzo Valley lost a titan of teaching on Sept. 2. Rob Lahey, a beloved math teacher and member of the San Lorenzo Valley community, died of cancer. He was 55 years old. Lahey began his career in education teaching math at SLV Middle...

Across the street from a strip mall and the Scotts Valley Middle School, and right next to brand-new townhouses, another development is set to rise. That’s because Scotts Valley City Council recently approved its latest housing project, “The Encore at 4104,” in the beating heart...

The hubbub at the Santa Cruz County Courthouse Tuesday morning was so loud a sheriff’s deputy had to tell the 50-plus Bonny Doon community members to pipe down. They were awaiting a hearing on whether or not convicted rapist Michael Cheek would be allowed to...

Before the CZU August Lightning Complex fires decimated Big Basin Redwoods State Park, visitors who canvassed the trails and camped beneath the redwoods saw different things: towering trees; various and beautiful flora and fauna; abundant wildlife, babbling brooks and starry skies. But when Traci...