News

Exterior of The Catalyst music venue in downtown Santa Cruz at night.

Catalyst Future Discussed

January 27, 2026

The future of The Catalyst, a cornerstone of Santa Cruz’s live music scene, is under discussion following plans for a proposed redevelopment that could replace the historic venue with a multi-story housing project.

A Show of Student Force

Students at Watsonville High School organized a large walkout protest Tuesday as part of a nationwide movement opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps and other federal policies.

Fire-Ravaged El Toro Bravo Opens

After a devastating Christmas Day fire forced its closure, El Toro Bravo has reopened in Capitola, welcoming back longtime customers more than a year after the blaze.

RTC Cuts Ties With Rail Co.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has voted to terminate its operating agreement with Progressive Rail Incorporated, a move the agency says will help advance the Coastal Rail Trail while preserving freight and excursion rail service.

Big Benefit Show at the Vet Hall

From Warning to Healing: A Cultural Renaissance Returns to the Vets Hall The silence inside the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building on October 24 was...

Boys To Men

“The Mask You Live In,” is a documentary that explores how boys and young men navigate a society that often demands an unrealistic ideal of masculinity.

Deadly Foraging

Poisonous death cap mushrooms have sickened people in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, according to a statewide list of areas reporting severe illnesses. A group...

King March Fills Downtown

Thousands of people assembled in downtown Santa Cruz Monday for the annual “People’s March for the Dream”, an event held to celebrate Martin Luther...

ICE agents detain man in Watsonville

At least one person was detained in Watsonville on Sunday morning by armed men who appeared to be U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)...

One More River to Cross

The holy trinity, the triangular nexus, the plutonium-powered nuclear reactor that drove the flux capacitor of the Grateful Dead, kept alive by the synchronistic...

Affordable housing project back on track

After months of delay, construction is set to resume on Park Haven Plaza, a 35-unit permanent supportive housing project in Soquel, following approval of key financing.

Santa Cruz Gives a Record Amount

Santa Cruz Gives raised more than $2.1 million for 72 local nonprofits in the final weeks of 2025, continuing a multi-year surge in community giving.

Supervisors Approve Draft BESS Plan

Rules would give local control to controversial facilities By Todd Guild Of The Pajaronian The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday moved forward with...