Vine Hill Elementary PTA members and community rally for auction
Late January the Vine Hill elementary PTA announced an online auction beginning Feb. 5 and continuing until the PTA’s first-ever virtual live auction on Feb. 20, hosted by Robert Aldana, Bobbie Ward and Garvin Thomas.
These two events form a part of the PTA’s fundraisers...
Beauty-industry workers sue state officials, saying they’ve been unfairly targeted during shutdowns
Jennifer Wadsworth and Mat Weir, Contributing Reporters
If you ask beauty salon owners in Santa Cruz County, they’ll tell you the on-and-off lockdowns during the pandemic have been downright backward when it comes to their industry.
Deborah Riley, owner of Lavish Salon in Santa Cruz, says...
North County water districts explore consolidation
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS—Today the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) and Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD) announced their respective boards of directors will consider possibly consolidating the agencies’ operations in the future.
Boards from both water districts will learn more about the consolidation process when...
Diversity Center sees new leadership, celebrates victories
Organization moves into permanent home
Diversity Center Santa Cruz County, an organization aiming to support the local LGBTQ+ community, has had a busy few months. From winning a lawsuit against the Trump Administration to buying a brand new building, the nonprofit is looking at an...
Homeless camp to stay open, federal judge rules
A federal judge on Jan. 20 granted a preliminary injunction stopping the City of Santa Cruz from closing a homeless camp in San Lorenzo Park that has swelled to nearly 200 residents since people started moving there in July.
The order, signed by Magistrate Judge...
Scotts Valley Economic Task Force gears up for next event
On Feb. 13, the Scotts Valley Economic Recovery Task Force will host its next event, #ScottsValleyLove from 10am to 6pm.
Much like the organization’s holiday open house, residents will pick up goodie bags and visit many businesses throughout town, earning treats and trinkets at each...
State lifts stay-at-home order
Some services, such as outdoor dining, can resume
Outdoor dining and other services can resume after Gov. Gavin Newsom on Jan. 25 ended the state’s regional stay-at-home order based on intensive care unit (ICU) capacity.
In its place, the state has returned to the Blueprint for...
Safe, not sorry
Panther Ridge resident Harmony Perna describes Jan. 19 evacuation
After a restless night, still recovering from surgery, and concerned with Covid-19, Harmony Perna was not in an ideal condition to evacuate her home on Panther Ridge Road in the morning of Jan. 19.
The Boulder Creek...
Evacuations ordered
County officials warn of debris flows and high winds
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Cal Fire CZU announced Monday morning that many evacuation warnings were updated to orders for swaths of the San Lorenzo Valley, including most of Boulder Creek and various areas of Ben Lomond and Felton...
Cabrillo College enrollment drops after fires, pandemic
When Covid-19 began to sweep the U.S.—and brought with it an economic recession—Cabrillo College officials expected a jump in enrollment that typically comes with a battered economy.
But the college is now seeing a significant drop in those numbers, which it pins on the double...
Scotts Valley graduate receives Teamsters scholarship
Violeta Dauksa of Scotts Valley has been named a recipient of a 2026 scholarship from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Scholarship Fund.
Dauksa is a...





















