Santa Cruz County Local News

Oakland entrepreneur Sanchali Pal’s new app, Commons, helps people track and reduce their carbon footprint by tracking how they spend money on food, utilities, clothes, furniture or travel.

Since the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County completed work on its wildlife tunnel at Laurel Curve, smaller critters have been spotted using it to get to the other side of Highway 17. But this month, the Land Trust was able to capture a mountain lion on video.

The Hoopa Valley Tribe announced it is acquiring about 10,000 acres of land in Northern California for $14.1 million. As part of this, the tribe will remove dams along the Klamath River and restore salmon runs.

Some firefighters and police officers who worked long enough in California to earn pensions are heading to more conservative destinations like Idaho in retirement. Some of these people even run for political office in these places.

The California Department of Water Resources has approved building a tunnel between the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The approval could signal a new wave of legal challenges to the long-running and controversial project.

The California Faculty Association has announced it will strike in January at the state’s 23 CSU campuses. It’s part of an ongoing effort by the group to obtain a 12% raise for the 29,000 professors and lecturers it represents.

California fast-food workers will earn a $20 minimum wage in April. Other employers might have to raise their pay floor to recruit and retain staff.

The land trust Sempervirens Fund has tapped Rachel Dann for its newly established director of government relations position. “Rachel is a highly esteemed political strategist, renowned for her extensive connections with regional policymakers,” said Executive Director Sarah Barth.

Those looking for holiday cheer can push play on “Good News Great Joy” from Twin Lakes Church. The tune can be heard on Spotify, iTunes and other streaming sites.

The financial blow from California’s out-migration has been cushioned by the kinds of people moving into the state: The newcomers generally earned more money than those who left. Now that long-standing trend has reversed.

Farmland is being rezoned for industrial use, and massive warehouses are being built on spec near communities like Buttonwillow and Shafter, so goods coming through the Southern California ports can be shipped quickly throughout the western United States.

An effort spearheaded by the Newsom administration and congressional leaders resulted in Congress authorizing and accelerating the transfer of seven C-130 aircraft from the U.S. Coast Guard to CalFire, expanding California’s firefighting fleet.

The California Strategic Growth Council approved over $116 million in Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program grants to permanently protect 50,500 acres of croplands and rangelands, as well as lands utilized by Indigenous tribes for the cultivation of traditional resources.

Google has agreed to pay $700 million and will make changes to its app store it has resisted for years in order to resolve a lawsuit over whether its app store is an illegal monopoly.

Executives of the company that previously owned Watsonville Community Hospital are accused of improper payments, siphoning funds for personal use and negligent operations, among other things, in a lawsuit filed by the hospital's liquidation trustee.

Erika Ziegenhorn has been ceremonially sworn in as the newest Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge, marking Gov. Gavin Newsom's fourth such local judicial appointment this year.

As another year zips by, Edible Monterey Bay has your back, offering a tasty way to mark its passing. Sample the Best New Openings of the Year, from Salinas to the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Suppliers now have detailed steps to create a new source of drinking water. But it’s not really “toilet-to-tap.” Due to the cost, it’ll likely be only large suppliers.

Federal funding for domestic violence shelters and housing programs is declining. Advocates want the state to step in, but with a record projected deficit new spending is unlikely.

In its final meeting of the year, the Capitola City Council took steps toward improved traffic safety, including installation of six LED flashing lights and re-striping at the Bay Avenue and Hill Street intersection.