Santa Cruz County

Authorities continue to look for 73-year-old Jeanne Burke, who was last seen at about 4:30 p.m. Nov. 18 in the area of Moore Ranch Road in Bonny Doon. (Contributed – Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office)

Rescue teams scour 3,500 miles of Santa Cruz Mountains in search of missing elderly woman

As the search for a missing elderly woman last seen in the Santa Cruz Mountains...
Scotts Valley Fire District. (File photo)

Santa Cruz County Taco Bell fire caused by lithium-ion battery

The Scotts Valley Fire District advises community members to avoid a lithium-ion battery fire by...
Kushi Beauchamp stars as Kitty Bennet and Emily Ota as Georgiana Darcy in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's new production of "Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley," (

Holiday arts 2025: Catch these 11 Bay Area stage shows

From a new 'Carol' to 'Christmas at Pemberley,' there is something for everyone.
Ralph Sidney Smith, the 31-year-old newspaper editor and early environmentalist, who was shot and killed by an angry reader on the streets of Redwood City. (Photo from the 1902 Sierra Club Bulletin)

The murder that ended a young Bay Area editor’s crusade to save the redwoods

Ralph Sidney Smith, the popular young editor of the Redwood City Times and Gazette, wanted...
Mad Yolks' eggy sandwiches are served on house-baked brioche. (Getty Images)

San Jose: Mad Yolks of Santa Cruz expands over the hill

Shrooms, Mad Chicks top the menu offered seven days a week.
A protester engages a street vendor on Bancroft Way selling Trump and Charlie Kirk merchandise on Bancroft Way after the “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)

Letters: Allowing free speech at Berkeley is better than a brawl

Also: Failing students | More than talk | Disingenuous speech | Diet change | Democratic...
An empty ESL class is seen after students left at Jewish Family Services in Los Gatos, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)

Letters: The classroom is no place for teachers’ politics

Also: CEOs benefit | Setting the tone | Tighten security | Workers' bonuses | Minimizing...
An aerial view of houses along a coastal bluff at Boneyard Beach in Encinitas on Sept. 3, 2024. (Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters)

More housing on the California coast? Changes at this powerful agency signal a pro-building shift

Three new pro-development appointees at the Coastal Commission are trying to remedy its poor reputation...
Seeking rest, companionship, or a good view of the surrounding area, birds are fond of gathering on elevated power lines.

Why are birds perching on only 1 set of power lines?

Birds are fond of perching on power lines, but some lines are better than others.
One California Highway Patrol officer suffered minor injuries after a tree fell onto his front hood while he was driving along Highway 17 Thursday evening. The tree also hit an Audi driving in the opposite direction, but the driver of that vehicle was not injured. (Contributed – California Highway Patrol)

Officer suffers injuries after tree crushes CHP vehicle traveling Highway 17 during storm

One law enforcement official escaped without significant injuries after a tree fell onto his car...
Joby Aviation announced the first flight of its turbine electric, autonomous VTOL aircraft. The demonstrator builds on Joby’s fully-electric air taxi platform and integrates a hybrid turbine powertrain along with the company’s “Superpilot” autonomy stack to deliver greater range and payload capability. (Joby)

Joby takes first flight of its hybrid demonstrator aircraft in Marina

The demonstrator aircraft builds on Joby's all-electric air taxi platform and integrates a hybrid turbine...
While turkey is still the focus of Thanksgiving dinner, local restaurants are serving up the bird in various ways on Nov. 27. Chaminade in Santa Cruz, left, offers a Thanksgiving Day buffet featuring cider-brined turkey, while Meso Mediterranean in Santana Row has stuffed turkey breasts on the menu. (Courtesy photos)

South Bay restaurants offering bountiful menu options for Thanksgiving

Dining out on Nov, 27 can mean feasting on bird or beast, along with some...
Surfer Nat Young in the water next to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf rides an atmospheric river-fueled wave on Thursday. The storm brought heavy rains and pounding surf, but no significant damage was reported in the county. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Loch Lomond reservoir poised to spill after atmospheric river storm drenches Santa Cruz County

"We're in a really good position with Loch Lomond," said Santa Cruz Water Department Deputy...
Local authorities continue to search for 35-year-old Danielle Staley, who disappeared from a beach in Aptos Nov. 6 and has not been heard from since. (Contributed – Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office)

Police say ‘foul play may be involved’ of missing woman last seen on Santa Cruz County beach

Law enforcement officials continue to search for 35-year-old Danielle Staley almost a week after she...
San Mateo County Sheriff candidate Kenneth Binder listens to a question during a public candidate forum at the San Mateo County Center in Redwood City, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Ken Binder named new San Mateo County sheriff

Kenneth Binder will serve by appointment until January 2029
Waterfall into the sea at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur, California. It can be visited for free with the California State Library Parks Pass. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Have a library card? You can visit a California state park for free

Check out a pass at your library that offers vehicle day-use access to more than...
Apple CEO Tim Cook gifts President Trump a plaque with a 24-karat gold base in the Oval Office of the White House in August.

Letters: Valley bosses’ legacies will be bending the knee

Also: Student food benefits | More housing | Wins in class | New leaders |...
Marine Mammal Center volunteers wheel a sick sea lion off the beach at Natural Bridges State Beach Sunday afternoon. (Caroline Hemphill – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Volunteers rescue sea lion washed up on a Santa Cruz County beach

The sea lion was taken to the Castroville triage center, where it stayed overnight. Monday...
Opossums are generally fine as neighbors, since they don't tear up lawns, gardens or shrubs, and they rarely stay in one place for very long.

Should I let an opossum live under a shrub in my yard?

Opossums are often good neighbors, but they usually don't stick around very long.
At its meeting Friday, the California Historical Resource Commission designated the Three Princes’ Surf Site at the San Lorenzo Rivermouth as a California Historical Landmark. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel file)

San Lorenzo River mouth surf spot approved as California Historic Landmark

For years, the San Lorenzo River mouth surf break in Santa Cruz has been celebrated...
Union member Beatrice Lao leads chants while protesting with University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119 and AFSCME Local 3299 in front of UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, CA on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. More than 86,000 union nurses and healthcare professionals plan a two-day strike on Nov. 17-18, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

86,000 University of California workers to strike statewide Nov. 17-18

The three bargaining unions involved in the strike said the Oakland-based UC system has failed...
Central Fire rescue swimmer Forrest Gleitsman is pummeled by a wave in heavy surf south of 41st Avenue Wednesday morning while trying to help surfers in distress. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Surfer knocked unconscious at The Hook in Santa Cruz, rushed to hospital

An unconscious surfer was pulled from the water Wednesday morning near The Hook surf break...
A cloud-shrouded full supermoon rises over the summit and Santa Cruz County homes in this view from UC Santa Cruz. Supermoons happen when a full moon coincides with the moon’s perigee, or a point in its orbit at which it is closest to Earth. This makes the moon appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than usual. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel file)

November supermoon to rise over the Bay Area this week

This month’s supermoon is one of three occurring this year, the next being Dec. 4....
FILE--Haze hangs heavy over the skyline of Oakland, Calif.,in this Dec. 7, 2000 file photo. Normally, from this vantage point, the city of San Francisco would be visible behind Oakland's downtown. The state Air Resources Board was set to vote on an air pollution cleanup plan for the Bay Area that federal clean air officials already have said isn't adequate to address smog problems. (AP Photo/The Oakland Tribune, D. Ross Cameron, File)

Letters: Expanded Spare the Air Alerts deserve Bay Area support

Also: Stick to job | Trading their souls | Stable solutions | Visible resources |...
FILE – The Earl Warren Building, headquarters of the Supreme Court of California and part of the Ronald M. George State Office Complex, is shown in San Francisco, Jan. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

California Supreme Court lets stand ruling that says UC’s ban on hiring students without legal status is discriminatory

Officials with the university system say the decision puts them in a precarious position as...
A California King Tides Project participant captured the king tides in January 2024 as they flooded Pleasure Point’s 30th Avenue stairs. (Courtesy California King Tides Project and California Coastal Commission)

King tides arrive: How experts and Bay Area residents are taking part in research

The ocean takes center stage during the king tides, predicted to arrive in Santa Cruz...
Santa Cruz Warriors players Alex Toohey, left, and LJ Cryer, shake hands during the team's media day at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)

Alex Toohey aims to channel inner Draymond Green for Santa Cruz Warriors

Toohey learns from Warriors great, LJ Cryer ready to shine for Santa Cruz, De’Anthony Melton...
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Woman who drove off San Mateo County cliff, killing passenger, takes plea deal

The driver pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter Friday.
A bat house should be at least 12-20 feet tall and afford plenty of sunlight.

Bay Area family has 2 houses ready for occupancy; bats only, please

Bats can be a bit picky when it comes to settling in a new home.
Jerel and Jean Shaffer, of Olympia, WA, enjoy the view of the Sonoma Coast near Jenner on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)

North Coast under renewed threat of offshore oil drilling, leaked documents show

A recent Houston Chronicle story reveals Trump administration plans to open large swathes of the...
Vice President Kamala Harris stands with California Gov. Gavin Newsom during a campaign event at the IBEW-NECA Joint Apprenticeship Training Center in San Leandro, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Letters: Democrats need a candidate, not a careerist

Also: Ukraine's kids | Terrorism by Israel | Complete victory | SF homelessness. Mercury News...
Joby Aviation announced on Wednesday a collaboration with NVIDIA, marked by NVIDIA’s selection of Joby as the only aviation launch partner for the new NVIDIA IGX Thor platform.(Joby)

Joby collaborates with Nvidia to accelerate next-era autonomous flight

Nvidia, a leading company in accelerated computing, has selected Joby as its only aviation launch...
A diver secures the van to straps to be raised from the water on Sunday. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Man who drove off Santa Cruz Wharf was registered sex offender who’d been out of prison 10 years

According to the State of California Megan's Law website, a database of registered sex offenders,...
A sample ballot is pictured before early voting starts in California’s statewide special election, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Paula Ulichney-Munoz)

Letters: Vote yes on Prop. 50 and stand up for democracy

Also: Qualified assessor | Santa Cruz rail | ACA cost | Help needy | Not...
Lilies serve as a memorial on Monday for William Westerman, 65, of Scotts Valley as workers at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf repair the spot where Westerman drove his minivan through the fence and into Monterey Bay on Sunday. Rescue workers extricated Westerman from the submerged vehicle, but he was declared dead shortly thereafter at Dominican Hospital. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Authorities identify man killed after vehicle plunged off Santa Cruz Wharf

On Monday, lilies had been placed at the spot on the wharf where the vehicle...
Haze covers downtown Oakland and the Bay Bridge. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group file)

Bay Area Air District responds to concerns over Spare the Air Alert increase

The Bay Area Air District will be calling Spare the Air alerts more frequently, the...
Squirrels are a among the most voracious acorn nibblers, but will rarely swallow then whole.

What critter is swallowing acorns and leaving evidence?

Bears, wild boars and dogs are the most likely acorn-gulping culprits; most other animals soften...
Air Force guard Ethan Taylor, left, passes the ball away from San Diego State forward Jaedon LeDee during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, at Air Force Academy, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Santa Cruz Warriors land three guards in 2025 NBA G-League Draft

The Santa Cruz Warriors landed three guards -- 6-foot-5 Ethan Taylor, 6-3 Derrin Boyd, and...
A Toyota Sienna van is raised to the roadway of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf from the Monterey Bay Sunday afternoon by a crew from Extreme Towing. Santa Cruz fire and police were dispatched to the wharf Sunday morning for a vehicle that had driven off the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The Santa Cruz Fire Department, Central Fire, California State Parks, Scotts Valley Fire, and the Santa Cruz Police Department all responded to the scene. One victim died at the scene and a dog was rescued and survived. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Man dies, dog saved after van plunges off Santa Cruz Wharf

Thirteen first responders performed surface dives to locate the vehicle 30 feet below the surf...
George Sakkestad/Staff Photographer, File photo Measure A, the five-year sales tax increase on the Nov. 4 special election ballot, would add another five-eighths of a cent to each dollar of taxable goods, pushing the total rate to 10% or more in most of Santa Clara County.

Letters: No guarantees, no spending cuts, no on Measure A

Also: Fire resilient | AWS outage | Touting socialism | Pricey ACA | Resist Trump....
Watsonville police investigate a stabbing and felony battery incident that occurred on campus at Watsonville High School Thursday. The incidents resulted in injuries to two students and a faculty member, and four suspects — all students — were arrested. (Nick Sestanovich – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

3 injured, 4 arrested in stabbing, battery incidents on Santa Cruz County high school campus

Four Watsonville High School students were arrested for two separate incidents that occurred on campus...
A visitor walks with a cup of chili and a map of contestants during a previous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Chili Cook-Off. (Jon Weiand/Santa Cruz Sentinel archives)

Chili Cook-Off returning to Santa Cruz Boardwalk — with 55 teams

Amateur, pro cooks will compete in meat, vegetarian categories.
Table tennis para-athlete Cynthia Ranii trains in her Santa Cruz garage last week before heading to Brazil for the World Para Elite and the Pan American Para Championships. Twenty years ago, Ranii was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare neuro-immunologic disorder that left her paralyzed from the chest down. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

At 58, Cynthia Ranii was paralyzed from the chest down. 20 years later, her sights are set on a Paralympic medal

Since she started on the competitive circuit more than a decade ago, the Santa Cruz...
A sea otter pops vertically out of the water behind a surfer at Steamer Lane on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in Santa Cruz, Calif. (Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Puckish sea otters continue surf board-stealing ways at Santa Cruz beach

“(The otter) didn’t seem like (it) was going after the surfer at all. (It) just...
PATH Villas at 4th Street, a 94-unit affordable housing development at 1030 North Fourth Street in San Jose, concept.

With help from Apple, housing trust launches $200 million Bay Area fund

The regional organization said the new financing endeavor, which the Housing Trust describes as a...
A sea otter sits on a surfboard at Steamer Lane on Wednesday. The surfer abandoned the board when the otter became aggressive and got on it. (Mark Woodward/Native Santa Cruz)

Otter steals surfboard in Santa Cruz. No, not that otter.

The sea mammal was not identified as Otter 841, who was photographed stealing a board...
A sailboat sits in the sand after it washed ashore on Main Beach during gusty winds and rain on Monday. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Strong storm brings heavy rain, a beached boat, possible tornado to Santa Cruz County coast

A deep, low-pressure storm system moving from the Pacific Northwest to California's Central Coast arrived...
An exterior view of Spartan Village on the Paseo, a new student housing tower for San Jose State University students, is seen on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)

State audit calls out UC, CSU student housing and says $89 million should not be used for SJSU’s Spartan Village

The report evaluates the UC, CSU and California Community Colleges systems and their efforts to...
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill authored by state Sen. John Laird that pushes for greater coordination with fire officials during battery energy storage system project development and construction. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group file)

In wake of Moss Landing fire, Newsom signs battery storage safety bill

Less than a year after the Moss Landing Power Plant fire, Gov. Gavin Newsom has...
A video frame from an ALERTCalifornia camera of the start of the Gifford Fire in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (ALERTCalifornia)

Letters: Federal law would help fire safety in California

Also: Law's meaning | Mantle of responsibility | Future damage | Economy's foundation | Peace...
Singer-songwriter Becca Stevens' new album was influenced by childbirth, loss, COVID isolation and other emotional issues.

Singer Becca Stevens brings her most personal songs yet to Bay Area

Returning to the Bay Area for her first run of gigs in about a decade,...
Redwood High’s Milan Hendrickson (17) spikes the ball past Foothill High’s Paige Nelson (14) and Emily Evans (17) during their CIF State NorCal Division 1 Regional Championship volleyball match at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

High school girls volleyball rankings, Oct. 7, 2025: Bay Area News Group Top 15

Monte Vista, Foothill make big moves, Valley Christian picks up key five-set win over St....
Five Wounds Portuguese National Church in San Jose will be celebratedwith 100th anniversary events the weekend of July 13-14, 2019. (SalPizarro/Bay Area News Group)

Letters: Proposed building heights would dwarf Five Wounds Church

Also: Right response | VA spin | Tariff fallout | Raising specter | Heal division....
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, seen here at the attorney general's downtown Los Angeles office on March 11, 2025, has led the state's efforts in court opposing actions by the Trump administration. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

California leads coalition opposing Trump’s planned restrictions on student visas

The proposal comes as the Trump administration has cracked down on immigration and visas for...
Former state Sen. Bill Monning holds up a sign approved by Monterey County in 1981 indicating a field sprayed with pesticides. A UC Berkeley study published Tuesday indicated that Monterey County had the highest proportion of pregnant people near pesticide fields and Santa Cruz County had the fourth highest proportion. (Nick Sestanovich – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Study: Santa Cruz County ranks 4th in pesticide proximity to pregnant residents

The use of pesticides in the Pajaro Valley has drawn further scrutiny in recent months,...
Golden State Valkyries' Janelle Salaün (13) celebrates her 3-point basket against the New York Liberty in the third quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Valkyries’ Janelle Salaün named to WNBA’s All-Rookie Team

WNBA honors: Valkyries’ Janelle Salaün named to All-Rookie Team
Cats who take hanging outside and making noise could be feeling playful or territorial.

Why does San Jose cat sit on a fence with friends and howl?

A cat who hangs outside and makes noise could be feeling playful or territorial
In a 39-page opinion shared Thursday, California’s Sixth Appellate District reversed a lower court’s decision that allowed a group of homeowners to cordon off public access to a walkway along the beach in Rio Del Mar so it can be used as private patio space. (PK Hattis – Santa Cruz Sentinel file)

Private patios or public walkway? Court rules in Santa Cruz County beach dispute

The homeowners said public access made them vulnerable to vandalism, invasion of privacy and safety...
The Cement Ship remained accessible to the public, just off the center of the end of Seacliff pier in 2000. (Dan Coyro — Santa Cruz Sentinel file)

New novel ‘Seacliff Park’ tells fictional story of famed Cement Ship

APTOS — For nearly a century, one object has undoubtedly caught the eyes of anyone...
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