News across Santa Cruz County

A place to turn: The 41st Annual Mountain Affair keeps support close to home
On October 30, neighbors will gather under the redwoods to preserve the food assistance, counseling, crisis response and disaster recovery services that help ensure San Lorenzo Valley families have somewhere to turn when they need it most. “Community Bridges helped me hold my…
Santa Cruz journalist Martha Mendoza goes inside the global scam industry for new PBS documentary
Santa Cruz journalist and UCSC lecturer Martha Mendoza spent the past year investigating the global online scam industry for a new PBS "Frontline" documentary. Then scammers hit close to home, targeting people close to her in Santa Cruz.

Stepping away from the desk and giving back with Second Harvest Food Bank
This past week, five members of Lookout Santa Cruz volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County, filling over 200 bags of groceries for local families. The experience provided the opportunity to engage with the work and community members which Lookout Santa Cruz…
This week in Santa Cruz County: Two more local Starbucks stores close; looking at the toll of ongoing closure of Watsonville Community Hospital’s NICU
Starbucks locations in Soquel and Watsonville are among the 250 nationwide affected by another wave of closures at the coffee giant, Jessica M. Pasko reports in her weekly look at Santa Cruz County business.
Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of Sept. 29
Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.
Monterey Bay’s fishing industry is changing: Here’s what Santa Cruz fishers are catching now
A new report from the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust finds that the number of commercial fishing vessels based in Monterey Bay has fallen more than 70% since the 1980s, while changing environmental conditions have reshaped what and how fishers catch.

Watsonville Community Hospital NICU remains closed, adding anxiety for expecting families
Watsonville Community Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit has been closed since mid-July because of staffing shortages, with no reopening date set. Local maternal health advocates say the closure is adding anxiety for expecting families.

Wednesday morning traffic: Highway 9 lane closures, Highway 1, Highway 152 work ongoing
Wednesday traffic trouble spots in and around Santa Cruz County.
What does UC Santa Cruz have in common with the rest of the UC? A new book explores the system’s complicated history
What makes UC Santa Cruz different from the University of California’s nine other campuses? Journalist Miriam Pawel’s new book, “California Dreams,” traces the UC system’s tumultuous history — and explores how UCSC’s distinctive identity emerged from a vision that quickly…

Santa Cruz County has healthy kelp; we shouldn’t close our coast to fishing
After nearly three years, the fight over proposed no-take marine protected areas along the Santa Cruz County coast is headed for a final decision. County Supervisors Justin Cummings and Manu Koenig argue that the proposals are too broad, lack scientific justification and would…

Newsom vetoes Delta levees bill as El Niño winter looms
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 872, saying money in the budget made the bill's $170 million for levee repairs redundant. The state puts those repair costs at $3.3 billion.

Letter to the editor: Ryan Coonerty has the stronger record on public safety
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident touts the credentials of mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty on issues of public safety.