The Scotts Valley Police Department is urging residents to subscribe to a free communications tool that will provide them with emergency notifications and other useful information.

A two-day closure of Mount Hermon Road between Graham Hill Road and Covenant Lane that was previously scheduled for November 9 and 10 was cancelled by Santa Cruz County Public Works.

Nearly half the registered voters in Santa Cruz County took part in electing a new governor, voting on nine state propositions and putting a handful of local officials into office. However, these results come with a disclaimer. In Santa Cruz County alone, there are 15,000 to 20,000 mail-in ballots that have not been tallied. Also, about 5,000 provisional ballots have not yet been verified, County Clerk Gail Pellerin said.

William Suter, 64, of Boulder Creek bought a winning MEGA Million ticket last Friday at the Mountain Store.

Scotts Valley Unified School District will host a series of five community forums beginning Wednesday, Nov. 3, intended to address the budget crisis facing schools.