Local News

Framing the Band

Famed rock photographer Jay Blakesberg brings decades of iconic music imagery to Santa Cruz, with a special appearance at Nicely Gallery on April 3 from 4pm.

Iranian Students React

At a Nowruz celebration in Santa Cruz, Iranian students shared food, tradition, and quiet fears—caught between war abroad and uncertainty at home.

Motel for Treatment

A former Watsonville motel is being transformed into a major recovery campus, marking a significant expansion of treatment services in Santa Cruz County.

Name Changes After Allegations

Long-celebrated tributes to Cesar Chavez are being reconsidered after disturbing allegations surface, forcing communities to confront a complex legacy.

Spicy Trip

Santa Cruz culinary legend Jozseph Schultz is trading the kitchen for Bali, guiding a food-focused journey through markets, temples and the deeper meaning of shared meals.

Is Our Water Safe?

A recent notice about chromium-6 in local water has residents uneasy. But experts say the situation is more nuanced—and far less alarming—than it first appears.

Advocates Warn of Immigration Scam

Legal advocates are warning the public about a multi-state scam targeting the immigrant community, with some victims losing as much as $30,000. According to Claudia...

RTC Seeks $15 Million

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission voted to seek $15 million in state and federal funding to advance environmental review of a proposed 22-mile passenger rail line.

Housing Too Close to Runway

A court ruling says Watsonville broke state law by approving housing near the municipal airport without first adopting mandatory airport safety standards into its General Plan.

Indie Film Pioneer Dies

Bill Raney, who founded Santa Cruz’s Nickelodeon Theater and helped shape the city’s independent film culture for decades, has died at 90.

Hundreds of teachers, staff and students packed a Watsonville school board meeting to protest planned layoffs in Pajaro Valley Unified School District, delivering a petition with more than 1,000 signatures and calling on trustees to “put students first.”

Panetta will fight drilling

Business leaders from fishing, hospitality and agriculture warn proposed offshore drilling could threaten jobs and reshape the Central Coast’s economy.