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Photos | Crews breaks down blue whale skeleton at Seymour Marine Discovery Center

A crew from the UC Santa Cruz carpentry shop on Monday meticulously disassembled “Ms. Blue,” the iconic 87-foot-long blue whale skeleton next to Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz.

The crew from the UC Santa Cruz carpentry shop on Monday meticulously disassembles “Ms. Blue,” the iconic 87-foot-long blue whale skeleton next to Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz. The whale bones were first collected by a group of UCSC students and staff on Pescadero Beach in 1979, and in 1985, the skeleton was reassembled and mounted to steel supports at Long Marine Lab. The nearly 90-foot-long female blue whale skeleton was later moved in 2000 to the Seymour Center. In Oct. 2023, Ms. Blue was examined by a skeleton reconstruction expert, a structural engineer, and a Long Marine Lab leader who was part of the group that originally mounted the bones, and they all agreed that after decades of coastal exposure, the metal structures supporting the whale have deteriorated to an unsafe condition. The skeleton will be restored, and the structure rebuilt so it can be reinstalled at the center. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Santa Cruz police have arrested a 31-year-old man they suspect killed another when a fight turned deadly at DeLaveaga Park last week.

Santa Cruz police make arrest in park fatal stabbing

"We are still in an exploratory phase," said farmers market Executive Director Nesh Dhillon as he addressed the board. "This is not binding, this is not definite; we are just starting an official dialogue. That's the important thing to understand here."

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Live Oak farmers market, school district to explore partnership

Sports fans saw Braylon Noble shine on the football field, basketball court, and track this year. Behind the scenes, he was crushing it in the classroom. The Soquel High senior was named the 2023-24 Central Coast Section Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

Soquel’s Braylon Noble named CCS Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year | CCS Scholar-Athletes

As Watsonville continues to search for a new city manager, the City Council will consider whether to appoint Assistant City Manager Tamara Vides to serve in the position on an interim basis at its Tuesday meeting.

Watsonville City Council to consider Vides as interim city manager

Latest Headlines

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Live Oak School District Board of Trustees seeks to fill vacancy

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Santa Cruz native Luke Rockhold prevails with KO in Karate Combat 45 | Local Roundup

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Kayla Fullalove-Silveira homers twice, drives in five in MVC’s softball win over Soquel | Local Roundup

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Guest Commentary | New approaches needed on homelessness

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How a different type of atmospheric river storm saved California from another drought

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From Scotts Valley to Paris: Wrestler Dominique Parrish qualifies for 2024 Olympics

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Santa Cruz Mineral and Gem Show returns for 71st year

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Sports

Scotts Valley High senior Ashlyn Boothby turned in one of the most exciting finishes at the 43rd CCS Top 8 Invite at Los Gatos High on Saturday. And with it, her immediate future on the track is tentative.

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SV’s Ashlyn Boothby, Soquel’s Jonelle Scott earn wins at CCS Top 8 | Girls track and field

Scotts Valley High senior Ashlyn Boothby turned in one of the most exciting finishes at the 43rd CCS Top 8 Invite at Los Gatos High on Saturday. And with it, her immediate future on the track is tentative.

Local News

Is Santa Cruz trying to kill us? | Ross Eric Gibson, Local History

"Happy Earth Day. It's time to honor our Mother Earth," writes columnist Ross Eric Gibson. "When we get it right, the Earth sustains us, but when we get it wrong, the consequences can be catastrophic. Santa Cruz is an easy...