Used hypodermic needles discarded by drug users continue to be found in streams, along beaches and public places across Santa Cruz County.

The median residential bi-monthly water bill in the Scotts Valley Water District would increase 27 percent in December under a five-year rate plan proposed by the Scotts Valley Water District.

The Santa Cruz County medical cannabis cultivation ordinance took one step closer to final approval, as the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to tentatively approve it, pending completion of a full environmental review.

Two storm systems in one weekend in the Central Coast hit hardest in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The more than 91,000 voters in Santa Cruz County who have been mailed ballots for the November Presidential Election won’t have to hunt for a postage stamp to return their ballot, because postage is now paid for Santa Cruz County voters.The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors this summer approved a County Clerk/Elections budget with enough money specifically to cover the cost of return postage for vote-by-mail ballots.There are now several options for returning a vote-by-mail ballot.Voters may mail it in the postage-paid envelope. Ballots postmarked no later than Tuesday, Nov. 8 and received by the elections official by the third day after the election will be counted once the voter information is verified. Since Friday after the election this year is a holiday, ballots received by Monday, Nov. 14 that are postmarked on or before Nov. 8 are eligible to be counted, said County Clerk Gail Pellerin.Voters also may drop off mail-in ballots any time of the day or night. One of five 24-hour ballot boxes is in Scotts Valley, at 1 Civic Center Dr., in the Scotts Valley City Hall parking lot.Or, voters may bring their ballots into the County Elections Office during regular business hours.Voters also may return the ballot on Election Day to any polling place in Santa Cruz County 7a.m. to 8 p.m.Pellerin reminded voters they must sign and date the envelope before sealing their ballot inside. The signature on the ballot envelope must compare to the signature on the voter registration card on file at the County Elections Office.The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 8.For more information, contact the County Clerk/Elections Department at 831-454-2060 or go to www.votescount.com.

Dust off your rain gauges.