Local motorists will soon face a disruptive rehabilitation project on the Murray Street Bridge. The overhaul includes…
Grace Stetson
Grace comes to Lookout from just over the hill, originally from Sunnyvale but with a variety of journalism experience from across the country.After doing her undergrad at Seattle University, Grace earned a master’s in journalism at Northwestern’s Medill School, where she focused on housing and gentrification issues via roles with The Chicago Reader, Illinois Public Media, and WNYC.In 2018, she moved to Brooklyn, where she joined the team at Dateline NBC as a full-time program coordinator. In this position, she balanced reporting work for the show’s online Cold Case Spotlights vertical with assistant production on special episodes, and connected with the Story Development team in preparing daily briefs on news-of-the-day.Since returning to the South Bay Area in Sept. 2020, Grace has freelanced for local publications such as San Jose Spotlight, Metro Silicon Valley, and The Six Fifty. Having lived in many places across the U.S. and worked for small, mid-tier, and larger markets, Grace is excited to delve back into community journalism with Lookout Santa Cruz.“This team and endeavor is such an exciting opportunity, and an exciting vision for what the future of local news can look like,” she says. “I can’t wait to have the chance to serve this community with high-quality, in-depth journalism.”
Posted inCoast Life
Santa Cruz tells Food Not Bombs it’s time to go: Lot 27 being cleared by city to make room for construction
Homelessness advocate Keith McHenry said “it’s an insane time” for the city to try to evict his group and the homeless campers who have used the parking lot as safe harbor. The city says a construction project will begin and it’s no longer safe.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Shelter from the storm: Santa Cruz’s Warming Center providing a basic, essential need during a cold winter
During the Dec. 13 storm, local advocate Brent Adams opened the Warming Center at Footbridge Services to help the unhoused during the inclement weather and beyond. Now he’s assessing how he can best prepare for the remainder of the winter months while also contemplating budgetary constraints.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Mixed results in arraignment of men accused of vandalizing Santa Cruz’s Black Lives Matter mural
Brandon Bochat pleaded not guilty Wednesday to felony vandalism charges with a hate crime enhancement, while Hagan Warner was granted a delay as he seeks a new attorney. The co-defendants are next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 10.
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New & improved: How community support keeps Santa Cruz libraries doors open
As the community continues its efforts to enhance & expand the county’s public library facilities, Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries is urging devoted patrons to “realize the promise” of Measure S by learning about new projects and getting involved.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
The new state laws going into effect — and their impact on Santa Cruz County
As of Jan. 1, a number of new state laws went into effect. Lookout takes a closer look at a handful of them to assess how they might affect Santa Cruz County residents.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
‘Almost surreal’: South County native Jorge Zamora prepares for his new role as Watsonville’s top cop
The longtime Watsonville police officer will become the department’s 16th police chief on Jan. 10, bringing the city native to the forefront of a challenging time for policing and the community at large. Zamora said he aims to build the department based on “good people,” not “perfect people.”
Posted inCOVID Today
Omicron, boosters and the local response during the holidays
While healthcare providers say they’re prepared for a potential surge of cases due to Omicron, they say the data thus far may suggest fewer severe cases and hospitalizations. They continue to urge the public to get vaccinated and boosted, even with prolonged wait times.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Micro tiny homes: An unusual take on emergency shelter potentially on its way to Santa Cruz
Alekz Londos created a small number of microshelters for the unhoused last year and is working to dramatically increase that in 2022. While some have expressed uncertainty about the structures, Londos says they’re better than the ground: “People dying on the streets don’t have time … we need tiny homes.”
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘We need more safe spaces’: As more weather approaches, city, homelessness advocates seek solutions
With another stretch of inclement weather on the way, the city of Santa Cruz looks to mitigate the impact on the unhoused — particularly those rooted at the Benchlands encampment along the San Lorenzo River.