Local News

A non-native invasive shothole borer beetle found along Zayante Creek south of Graham Hill Road in October has been identified as Euwallacea interjectus, a beetle originating from Southeast Asia. Prior U.S.-based identifications of Euwallacea interjectus have been restricted to states in the Southeastern part of...

Felton and local area residents expecting to review their fire district’s budget this week were left in the dark after the Felton Fire Protection District (FFPD) failed to meet basic legal notice requirements. A legal notice published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel announced that the...

Kristin Ard, a longtime municipal worker who’s been battling cancer, is suing the City of Scotts Valley for disability discrimination. Known affectionately around town as “Kard,” she was at the helm of the Recreation Division since taking over from Conrad Sudduth in 2012. Back then, according...

A district court judge has allowed a UC Santa Cruz administrator’s unlawful search lawsuit against the City of Scotts Valley and its police force to proceed. Plaintiff Darin Matthews named four Scotts Valley officers—along with a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy—as defendants in the action,...

Even as his life slipped away, Ben Lomond native Alex Fritch gave his wife Terra one final gift: A goodbye. “It’s the biggest gift,” she told the Press Banner, describing how they got to embrace in the hospital. “He grabbed my hand. He cried. And...

First responders are key to keeping San Lorenzo Valley residents safe in the face of potential emergency situations, but there are other civilian groups that are stepping up to help fill in the gaps. Enter the San Lorenzo Valley Emergency Network (SLVEN). On Oct. 2,...

Safe Corridor Initiative discusses highway safety Representatives from Caltrans, California Highway Patrol and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, along with San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, state Sen. Josh Becker and Assemblymember Marc Berman, are expected to discuss safety concerns along Highways 35, 84...

It’s happening a few months later than originally hoped, but now, literacy fans and community boosters can rejoice—the Scotts Valley Branch Library is coming back to life. The Grand Reopening is to go from 10am-2pm on Saturday, at its previous 251 Kings Village Road location....

San Lorenzo Way Bridge closes for preparation work San Lorenzo Way Bridge will be closed to all traffic from Sept. 15 through Oct. 9 while crews remove trees and prepare for the bridge’s eventual replacement. The bridge, located at the intersection of Highway 9 and San...

Just as the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District sorted out one inappropriate-behavior situation, another materialized. Trustees had voted to let teacher Eric Kahl resign, at their Sept. 14, 2021, board meeting, after learning he’d subjected female students to unwelcome sexual advances (in exchange, Kahl...