After Thursday’s vote-count update, immigration attorney Alisa Thomas continues to lead in the race for an open seat on the Santa Cruz County Superior Court over criminal defense attorney Bryan Hackett. The winner of this judicial election will succeed Judge Stephen Siegel, who’s retiring after being appointed to the bench in 2012.
Tania Ortiz
Tania Ortiz joins Lookout Santa Cruz as the California Local News Fellow to cover South County. Tania earned her master’s degree in journalism in December 2023 from Syracuse University, where she was a Newhouse Diversity News Fellow. In Syracuse, she covered life and culture for Syracuse.com, writing features on local artists and organizations making an impact on the community.
While studying for her master’s, Tania also reported on feminist collectives in Mexico and their efforts to support families of femicide victims as a Pulitzer Center grantee. She’s also written for other publications such as the Charleston City Paper, The South Side Stand and the Los Angeles Journal.
Originally from Oceanside, Tania is excited to be reporting in her home state after living on the East Coast for two years. She looks forward to learning more about Santa Cruz County and connecting with the community through her reporting.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Election surprise: Incumbent Felipe Hernandez continues to trail challenger Tony Nuñez in District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor race
The early returns in the race for District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor see incumbent Felipe Hernandez trailing challenger Tony Nuñez by a large margin, which comes as a surprise to some.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor: Tony Nuñez maintains early lead over incumbent Felipe Hernandez
Tony Nuñez takes the early lead in the District 4 Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors race over incumbent Felipe Hernandez and Elias Gonzales. The seat represents most of the Pajaro Valley, Watsonville and Interlaken.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville Community Hospital CEO Stephen Gray to step down from position in July
Watsonville Community Hospital CEO Stephen Gray will be stepping down from his role in early July, according to hospital leadership. The search for an interim replacement is currently underway.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville Community Hospital will receive $10.6 million state grant to help weather financial challenges
Watsonville Community Hospital is receiving a $10.6 million state grant that will provide temporary financial relief. Watsonville is one of four California hospitals receiving additional state funding.
Posted inLatest News
El Hospital Comunitario de Watsonville recibirá una subvención estatal de 10.6 millones de dólares para afrontar desafíos financieros
El Hospital Comunitario de Watsonville recibirá una subvención estatal de 10,6 millones de dólares que le brindará un alivio financiero temporal. Watsonville es uno de los cuatro hospitales de California que recibirán fondos estatales adicionales.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘We grew up here’: Some longtime residents say battery storage project near Watsonville might force them to move
Lifelong residents near the proposed battery storage facility on Minto Road outside Watsonville talked with Lookout about their concerns over the project, with some saying that they’ve thought about moving out of the area if the project gets approved.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Crecimos aquí’: Algunos residentes de toda la vida dicen que el proyecto de almacenamiento de baterías cerca de Watsonville podría obligarlos a mudarse
Residentes de toda la vida cerca de la instalación propuesta de almacenamiento de baterías en Minto Road, en Watsonville, hablaron con Lookout sobre sus preocupaciones respecto al proyecto, y algunos compartieron que han pensado en mudarse del área si el proyecto es aprobado.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Why did County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez take a campaign sign that wasn’t his own?
Felipe Hernandez, incumbent for the District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor seat, is facing allegations of removing one of his opponent’s campaign signs, just a week before the June 2 primary election.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
¿Por qué el supervisor del condado Felipe Hernández tomó un letrero de campaña que no era suyo?
Felipe Hernández, actual supervisor del Distrito 4 del Condado de Santa Cruz, enfrenta acusaciones de haber retirado un letrero de campaña de uno de sus oponentes, a solo una semana de las elecciones primarias del 2 de junio.
