Encompass Community Services, Santa Cruz County’s largest nonprofit provider of behavioral mental health residential programs, says its Casa Pacific facility in Watsonville is at risk of closure as a result of funding cuts from the county. The nonprofit has already closed its Live Oak crisis mental health facility for the same reasons.
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 inLatest News
PG&E delays restart of Elkhorn battery facility after identifying equipment malfunctions
Pacific Gas & Electric is delaying reopening its Elkhorn battery storage facility after identifying equipment malfunctions. In May, the utility company had announced plans to restart operations at its facility on June 1, after being offline since January following the massive fire at a neighboring facility in Moss Landing.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
After two bodies found at Pajaro River levee, Watsonville councilmember’s grave suspicion raises new questions
Watsonville City Councilmember Casey Clark suspected there might be bodies buried on the Pajaro River levee after encountering a memorial during a walk. His suspicions have only increased as Monterey County detectives discovered two bodies on the levee in the past two months.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz Pride’s 50th-anniversary celebration culminates in vibrant parade down Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz Pride capped off its 50th-anniversary celebration with a downtown parade Sunday morning. Hundreds of Santa Cruz residents lined up along Pacific Avenue decked out in Pride colors to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
Posted inLatest News
Nearly 1,000 gather at Main Beach to create ‘Resist!’ human banner protesting Trump administration
Around 1,000 people gathered Saturday morning at Santa Cruz Main Beach to spell out the word “Resist!” The event, organized by Indivisible Santa Cruz County, aimed to protest the Trump administration and celebrate Santa Cruz Pride’s 50th anniversary.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville approves $12 million in bonds for Ramsay Park, city plaza renovation projects
The Watsonville City Council voted to authorize a lease revenue bond to help address funding gaps for the city’s Ramsay Park and downtown plaza renovation projects. The $12 million bond will be split between the two.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville resident detained by immigration officials outside home Tuesday, advocacy group says
A Watsonville resident was arrested by federal immigration officials outside of their home Tuesday morning, according to grassroots organization Your Allied Rapid Response. The arrest did not appear to be part of a larger raid in the area.
Posted inLatest News
Monterey County sheriff’s deputies discover another body on Pajaro River levee
Monterey County sheriff’s deputies say they found the body of a man along the Pajaro River levee, west of the bridge that connects the community of Pajaro to Watsonville.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
‘Really changed who I am’: Watsonville Police Chief Jorge Zamora steps down after 30 years of service
Jorge Zamora, who joined Watsonville’s police cadet program at age 15 and rose to become the city’s first Mexican American police chief, announced his retirement Thursday.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California’s planned cuts to immigrant health care could overwhelm Santa Cruz County ERs, providers warn
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed freezing Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented residents ages 19 and older beginning next year, in addition to implementing other limits to coverage under the program. Santa Cruz County health care professionals say this will only discourage people from seeking preventative care and hurt the local health care system.