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Witness Describes Humiliation, Bounced Paychecks That Led to Killing of Santa Cruz Tech CEO and Cannabis Farm Owner

The four men accused in the October 2019 murder of Tushar Atre in Santa Cruz are all facing trial or have already faced trial this year, six full years after the crime.

Arts & Entertainment

Field Notes: Filipino Tea Party, Candelabra Redwoods, Fog and Folklore, and Mezcal Lineage

In this week’s Field Notes: Financial literacy for youth; Filipino tea and an all-Filipino band; Latino history; mezcal traditions; ceramic and wood; sculptural trees; Bay Area haunts; a mountain lion’s journey; and Santa Cruz’s new upscale hotel and spa.

Aggressive Sea Otter Possibly Back At It Stealing Surfboards In Santa Cruz

A surfer had a run-in with a sea otter last week in the same vicinity that the infamous Otter 841 was menacing surfers and kayakers two years ago, in what turned out to be a hormonal reaction to being pregnant.

Arts & Entertainment

Field Notes: SF Photobook Fair, Annie Sprinkle’s ‘Bazoombas,’ and Local Indigenous-Owned Businesses

Fundraiser for Madrone’s Oscar Myers; local Indigenous-owned businesses; processing trauma through surfing; learning about SF via Muni; downtown alley transformation; Photobook Fair weekend; Annie Sprinkle celebrates Earth and boobs; lavender and bees; SF’s 55-acre garden.

Arts & Entertainment

Field Notes: Dancers on Buildings, Cowboys in Oakland, and Fun at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk

This week across the Bay Area: From Santa Cruz Boardwalk to Big Sur’s Pfeiffer Falls Trail; Flyaway Productions’ in the TL to SoMa’s book readings; Hispanic Heritage Month and “A Taste of Oakland;” Coach Don’s and the SF Pizza Lady's kindness; West Oakland trees; and Eureka Fellowships.

Sunday Links: Ex-Emeryville Mayor John Bauters Ousted From ‘The Snake’ Due to Smug Personality

A driver in SF's Richmond District allegedly attempted to hit a pedestrian in a road rage incident; Santa Cruz police are looking for a suspect in a violent assault; and ex-Emeryville mayor John Bauters has been booted from reality show, 'The Snake.'

Arts & Entertainment

Field Notes: 'Dolores' Opera, Rooftop Roller Rink, Rebel Lit, Tree Guide, and Coastal Wineries

In this week’s Field Notes: A 4-year-old meets 1,000 dogs, kids get a free tree book, and Sutro Baths summons ghosts. There's opera for Dolores Huerta, Deaf-led dance, an inclusive art fair, rooftop skating, coastal wineries with views, and a Novato Eames museum in the works.

Motorist Flips $400,000 Lamborghini on State Route 9 Near Santa Cruz

While the passengers suffered only minor injuries, the driver may be looking at a massive financial setback, as excessive speed appears to have been a factor in the totaling of a $400,000 Lamborghini Sunday near Santa Cruz.

Arts & Entertainment

Sempervirens Fund: Protecting Redwoods For Over A Century

Sempervirens Fund, founded in 1900, protects California’s redwoods through land conservation, forest restoration, and climate resilience efforts, saving over 35,000 acres since its start.

Man Who Killed Maddy Middleton When He Was a Teenager Denied Parole By Jury

Adrian 'AJ' Gonzalez has been ordered to remain in prison following a lengthy jury trial to determine whether he remains a potential threat to the public.

AJ Gonzalez Describes Killing His 8-Year-Old Neighbor, Going Out For Chipotle After

The 25-year-old man who, at age 15, brutally strangled, stabbed, and sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl who was his neighbor, just took the stand for the first time in a trial to determine if he will stay behind bars.

At His First Ever Trial, Teen Killer of Santa Cruz Girl Hopes to Convince Jury He's Not a Danger to the Public

25-year-old Adrian Jerry "AJ" Gonzalez is hoping to be set free despite admitting to the 2015 murder of his 8-year-old neighbor, Maddy Middleton.

Santa Cruz Mayor Isn't Committing to Rebuilding Collapsed Section of Wharf

Four days after a winter swell took out a 150-foot section of the historic Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, the mayor of Santa Cruz is hedging when asked about whether a rebuilding plan is getting underway.

One Man Killed After Being Trapped Under High Surf Debris In Santa Cruz, Two Missing Near Monterey

A man is dead in Santa Cruz after being trapped under the debris of the pier-smashing waves, and two people are missing near Monterey after being swept into the ocean, as the raging high surf conditions take a deadly toll.

Surprise Tornado Touches Down In Scotts Valley

A storm that brought flooding across the Bay Area this weekend, punctuated by a false alarm tornado warning for San Francisco residents just before 6 am Saturday morning, brought an actual tornado to Santa Cruz County.

Santa Cruz Boy, Now a 25-Year-Old Man, Who Killed 8-Year-Old Neighbor Maddy Middleton, Begins Trial to Determine His Fate

Adrian Gonzalez, who has been jailed for nine years now for the brutal sexual assault and murder of a girl who lived in the same Santa Cruz apartment complex as him, heads to trial this week to determine if he should remain incarcerated.

Former Mr. Bungle Musician Theobald Lengyel Gets 25 Years to Life for Girlfriend's Murder

Theobald "Mylo" Lengyel was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in Santa Cruz Superior Court for the December 2023 murder of Alice “Alyx” Herrmann at her home in Capitola.

Bombshell Testimony Comes Three Weeks Into Murder Trial of Former Mr. Bungle Band Member

Theobald "Mylo" Lengyel has been on trial since September 4 for the December 2023 murder of his girlfriend, Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann, in Capitola. And this week, a witness took the stand who only reached out to prosecutors after reading about testimony in the trial so far.

Convicted Teen Killer of Maddy Middleton Denied Freedom By Judge, Will Stand Trial to Determine His Fate

Adrian "A.J." Gonzalez, who was 15 when he confessed to the sexual assault and killing of his 8-year-old neighbor Madyson "Maddy" Middleton in 2015 in a Santa Cruz apartment complex where they both lived with their parents, never stood trial for the murder. But that is about to change.

Former Mr. Bungle Musician to Stand Trial For Girlfriend's Murder as More Details of the Crime Emerge In Court

A preliminary hearing has concluded, and a Santa Cruz County judge has concluded that there is enough evidence to put 54-year-old Theodore Lengyel of El Cerrito on trial for the murder of a Capitola woman he was in a relationship with.

Very Large Rabbit (or Hare) Rescued From Local Highway

An alarmingly large wild hare (or rabbit?) was rescued by CHP officers Sunday night on Highway 17, likely from a terrible fate on that busy roadway.

Pro-Palestine Protesters Block Entrances to UC Santa Cruz, Classes Moved Online

Both entrances to UC Santa Cruz were blocked Tuesday, and classes moved online, as that school becomes the latest UC campus flummoxed by the disruptions of pro-Palestine protesters.

Day Around the Bay: Surfboard-Stealing Otter Resurfaces in Santa Cruz

Some lane closures and street repairs will muck up traffic on part of 19th Avenue this week; an extremely rare whale was spotted near Point Reyes; and Santa Cruz’s infamous Otter 841 has reappeared and is taking over people’s surfboards again.

Arts & Entertainment

Santa Cruz Boardwalk Roller Coaster Giant Dipper Turns 100 Years Old This Weekend

The oldest roller coaster in California celebrates its 100th birthday Saturday, as the Giant Dipper at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk turns 100 with a rollicking party, and someone even brewed it a commemorative beer.

First Mountain Lion Spotted Going Through Santa Cruz Highway Wildlife Crossing: VIDEO

Ten months after the Laurel Curve wildlife tunnel under Highway 17 through the Santa Cruz Mountains was completed, a mountain lion used the crossing for the first time.