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Watsonville turns to bonds to meet steep pension costs

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council gave staff the green light to begin the process of issuing taxable bonds in hopes of paying off steep unfunded pension obligations over the next three decades. According to a 2020 California Public Employees’ Retirement System …

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Longtime Scotts Valley City Clerk Retires

A stalwart of local government in Scotts Valley is calling it a career this week. After more than three decades of service to the community, working under five city managers and 23 city council members, City Clerk Tracy Ferrara is …

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Judge approves sale of Watsonville Hospital to health care district

WATSONVILLE—A federal judge on Wednesday approved the sale of Watsonville Community Hospital to the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District (PVHD), ending the chapter of a story in which the facility was at imminent risk of closure, and beginning another of local …

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Supervisors Mull Post-Employment Lobbying Rule

Supervisor Zach Friend proposed the ordinance as a way to engender trust in local government.

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County Merges Public Works, Planning Into One Department

Officials say integrating the departments will streamline services and improve customer service.

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Bill establishing Pajaro Valley health district heads to Governor’s desk

SACRAMENTO—Senate Bill 418, authored by State Senator John Laird, was unanimously approved on the Senate floor in a 34-0 vote Thursday, paving the way for Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign the bill into law and establish a health care district …

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As Build Back Better Plan Stalls, Scotts Valley Digs Into Piggy Bank

It was like music to the ears of Scotts Valley politicians, last summer, when Democrats announced they’d be setting $1.4 million aside to replace a condemned after-school childcare facility at Vine Hill Elementary School, a hallmark of the Parks and …

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Proposed health care district gets financial boost, lawmakers’ help

WATSONVILLE—The Central California Alliance for Health has provided a $3 million grant to Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project (PVHDP) to help purchase Watsonville Community Hospital. The grant is made available through the Alliance’s Medi-Cal Capacity Grant Program. “Watsonville Community Hospital …

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Congressman Panetta Visits Santa Cruz Mountains Communities

Panetta says he's encountered a lot of positive comments from people in the community about Rep. Eshoo’s leadership

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County’s climate action plan will undergo update

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors took the first step in updating the county’s climate action strategy, a response to global warming and its effects on infrastructure and the people who live here. Updating the County’s Climate …

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Supervisors approve independent auditor for Sheriff’s Office

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to hire an independent auditor for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office who would investigate such issues as citizen complaints and use of force. The …

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Sheriff’s Office oversight advanced by Santa Cruz County supervisors

Inspector general could review complaints, but some want advisory committee.

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Pajaro Valley’s Congressional representation will change

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville residents will have a new representative at the federal level after the June primary following a massive political shift in the recent decennial redistricting process completed last month. Formerly included in the 20th Congressional District with the rest of …

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Donna Lind Named Scotts Valley Mayor in ‘Awkward’ Handoff

By DREW PENNER As the old façade on the vacant Kmart building was coming down Dec. 15 in Scotts Valley, in preparation for a Target to stand in its place, it symbolized both residents’ hope for post-pandemic prosperity and a …

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Criminal Justice Council report shows law agencies aligned

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—All of the county’s four city police agencies—and the Sheriff’s Office—have similar policies when it comes to use of force and releasing of information to the public, according to a report released in November by the Criminal Justice …

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PVUSD board selects new leadership

WATSONVILLE—“It’s been a crazy, crazy, crazy crazy year,” Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Daniel Dodge, Jr. said Wednesday, just before the board appointed trustees Kim De Serpa and Maria Orozco as President and Vice-President, respectively. They will hold the …

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Watsonville Names Jorge Zamora New Police Chief

A Watsonville police officer who began his career with the agency as a cadet three decades ago has become the department’s newest police chief. Jorge Zamora was chosen after an extensive national search.

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Homeless advocates ask Watsonville officials to address mounting issues

WATSONVILLE—About a dozen nonprofit leaders and community advocates asked the Watsonville City Council at its Tuesday meeting to address the city’s mounting homelessness issues that have been further compounded by a recent rainstorm. Among the concerns brought forth to the …

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Measure U Extension Committee Submits Signatures

The landmark measure put restrictions on where, when and how Watsonville could expand in an effort to protect the surrounding sloughs and farmland.

Featured

With just two courthouses, Santa Cruz County has one of the smaller court systems in the Bay Area.
The Superior Court—Explained
One of 58 superior court systems in the state, here's how the Santa Cruz County courts work.
The Santa Cruz civil grand jury meets in County Government Center
The Grand Jury—Explained
Santa Cruz’s civil grand jury promotes accountability in local government.
California's sprawling public education system encompasses approximately 10,500 schools.
California’s Education System: How the Bureaucracy Works
How California's extensive public school system is organized and managed, explained.
Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz, which might be a huge resort if not for the Coastal Commission.
The Public Shore Protectors
Born amid controversy, this public agency is responsible for managing some of the most precious real estate in the world.
In Santa Cruz County, 10 separate entities manage the water supply.
Santa Cruz County Water, Explained
Santa Cruz County's water system is run by a decentralized collection of entities.
States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.
The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained
Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population
How local government tries to control the world’s deadliest wild animal—the mosquito.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
Over two weekends last October, residents of Santa Cruz and Watsonville  participated in demonstration rides aboard an electric streetcar on rails.
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained
The heated controversy over what to do with abandoned railroad tracks
California transportation history runs from railroads to today’s car culture.
California’s History of Transportation: From Railroads to Highways
The history of transportation in California has shaped the state, from the earliest stagecoach to today’s car culture.
The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
The making of Gov. Newsom's plan to help get mentally ill Californians into treatment.
A city-sanctioned homeless encampment directly adjacent to county government offices and across the San Lorenzo River from the heart of downtown Santa Cruz.
How the City and County Work on the Homelessness Crisis
As the population of unhoused individuals and families in Santa Cruz has exploded, officials from the City of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County tackle the issue.
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Owning homes is the primary way the middle class builds wealth, and an option no longer available to most Californians.
Is California’s Housing Crisis Making Inequality Worse?
California has some of the worst economic inequality in the United States. Is housing a cause? Could it be a cure?
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
The Pajaro River levee broke during the 2023 atmospheric river storms, flooding the town of Pajaro.
Is California Ready for More Extreme Weather Driven by Climate Change?
Increasingly extreme weather events are already testing California’s preparedness.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
California has a goal of 6 million heat pumps cooling and heating buildings by 2030.
6 Million New Heat Pumps: Essential to California's Climate Future
Installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 is essential if California is to reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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