Watsonville resident Rachelann T. Daniel has donated $250,000 to a Pennsylvania-based foundation to provide $10,000 scholarships to high school seniors across America’s Western states who are pursuing careers in government service. She made the donation in honor of late daughter Laura Daniel Brown.
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Posted inLatest News
Members sought for senior, disabled transportation advisory board
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation is seeking new members to serve on its Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee. Any Santa Cruz County resident who is age 60-plus, a paratransit rider, lives with a disability or represents services for seniors and people with disabilities is eligible.
Posted inLatest News
Bonny Doon homeowners to hear from state on insurance crisis
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has accepted an invitation from the Rural Bonny Doon Association to speak at an online forum at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, on the home insurance crisis facing residents of Santa Cruz County who live in wildfire-prone areas.
Posted inLatest News
Free wood chipping offered for fire-prone Santa Cruz County areas
The Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County is offering to reimburse the cost of wood chipping for residents who want to clear land in areas at risk for wildfires. The Neighborhood Chipping Program is accepting applications through Oct. 31 and aims to “incentivize the creation of defensible space around homes in high wildfire risk areas.”
Posted inLatest News
Last year’s storms hurt Santa Cruz County’s strawberry production, other crops
The severe storms and flooding that hit the region in 2023 had a significant impact on the production of berries and other crops in Santa Cruz County, according to a report the county released Friday. In 2023, the total estimated gross production value was $654,710,000, a 1.8% decrease from 2022.
Posted inLatest News
Input sought on future of Seacliff and New Brighton beaches
California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks will host a community workshop on Thursday, Sept. 26, to share information about the future of Seacliff and New Brighton state beaches, which were badly damaged by storms in early 2023.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz County libraries tackle bystander intervention, banned books
Santa Cruz Public Libraries will observe the overlapping United Against Hate Week from Sept. 21-27 and Banned Books Week from Sept. 22-28 with bystander intervention training and a panel discussion.
Posted inCapitola & Soquel
Two-month full closure ahead for Bay Avenue on-ramp to Highway 1 in Capitola
As part of the auxiliary and bus-on-shoulder lane project that in April saw the demolition of the nearby Capitola Avenue overpass, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission said in a news release Thursday that the on-ramp to southbound Highway 1 from Bay Avenue would close Sept. 29 for two months.
Posted inLatest News
Full overnight closure of Highway 1 south starts Sunday, Sept. 22
Full overnight closures of southbound Highway 1 in Santa Cruz between Capitola and Aptos will take place on four nights Sunday through Thursday, Sept. 22-26, to accommodate work on north and southbound auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder improvements. Motorists will be detoured off Highway 1 southbound between Park Avenue and State Park Drive and should expect delays of up to 10 minutes.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Santa Cruz County orders masking in some health facilities Nov. 1
As fall creeps in and respiratory virus season draws closer, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Lisa Hernandez has issued a health order, effective Nov. 1, that requires face masks indoors in acute care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, surgical and maternity centers and infusion centers for treatments such as dialysis and chemotherapy.