Santa Cruz County Local News

The California Environmental Quality Act has often been used, or misused, to block housing construction and other projects. A new state appellate court decision could reduce that practice.

The state’s environmental tool skews which communities are designated as disadvantaged, researchers say. Some immigrant neighborhoods could be left out, while other groups are overrepresented.

Residents of San Rafael say the project could bring noise, pollution and crime to the area.

In the face of a looming budget crisis, the Live Oak School District’s governing board declined to approve recommended employee cuts, at least for now, despite warnings from staff that the reductions are necessary.

On one side: Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ advocacy group. On the other side: Protect Kids California, a parents rights organization.

California Forever CEO Jan Sramek says promises of new homes, jobs, investments are binding, but legal experts and elected officials are skeptical.

Lawyers representing organizations in property-poor school districts are pressing Gavin Newsom and legislators over a school bond for the November ballot.

In his decision, a judge agreed that the alleged white nationalists were being selectively prosecuted instead of 'far-left extremist groups, such as Antifa.'

The United States is knee-deep in what some experts call the opioid epidemic's "fourth wave," which is not only placing drug users at greater risk but is also complicating efforts to address the nation's drug problem.

Logistics has been an economic lifeline for the Inland Empire for decades. Now that the industry is hitting a downturn, the region is feeling the pain.

A temporary lake in Death Valley National Park doubled after recent rains and is now deep enough to launch a kayak. Prior to August, ghostly Lake Manly hadn’t appeared in 19 years.

License plates are getting stolen from vehicles, Livermore officials say.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects the 2024-25 shortfall at $73 billion, putting more pressure on legislators and the governor to find savings.

A notorious intersection will get a close look from city leaders this week, after Capitola city staff and transportation planners unveiled a quick-build project encompassing changes at Bay Avenue and Hill Street.

A local nonprofit said it has made an offer to purchase a senior center in Live Oak while a representative from the school district that owns the site says it isn’t quite ready to make definitive moves.

Campaign finance disclosure statements for the city of Santa Cruz’s March ballot show that two corporations made substantial contributions to the campaign endorsing Measure L, which would increase the city’s sales tax.

A lot of interesting stuff happened during the Jan. 23 Salinas City Council meeting. I’ll focus on two items: one that received a lot of media attention, and one that barely got a blip.

One of the biggest properties on Cannery Row has a new identity, after several years dark. Tipsy Putt soft opened in the former Cannery Row Brewing Company.

With the dust settled after the Feb. 19 bill introduction deadline, the California Legislature’s count for new bills this year is 2,124.

California’s latest Master Plan for Aging underscores the need for policies to address the challenges aging populations face. But it fails to portray the realities for older adults in rural areas, who are at greater risk of poverty.