Watsonville Community Hospital reported losses of nearly $23 million in 2025 following a challenging year of fewer patient visits and changes to federal and state funding. Hospital leadership expects to have an update by March on its search for a private partner to help shore up its finances.
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.
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Panetta, local officials and nonprofit leaders working together to protect county residents from immigration enforcement impacts
Local government officials, nonprofit leaders and U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta say they are working together to protect Santa Cruz County’s most vulnerable residents from the impacts of immigration enforcement amid federal agents’ intensifying enforcement in Minnesota.
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Watsonville Community Hospital nurses hold vigil to honor life of nurse killed by federal agents in Minneapolis
Nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital gathered Wednesday evening to remember the life of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who was killed by federal immigration agents Saturday in Minneapolis.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
County supervisors prepare for possible immigration enforcement actions with subcommittee
Santa Cruz County elected officials are creating a subcommittee, led by Supervisors Monica Martinez and Felipe Hernandez, to prepare for the possible impacts of immigration enforcement on county residents.
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Longtime community advocate Elias Gonzales announces bid for District 4 supervisor seat
Elias Gonzales, a Watsonville native and nonprofit leader, is running for the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors’ 4th District seat. He will face incumbent Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, who is finishing out his first term on the board.
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ICE watchdog group seeing influx of new volunteers as immigration enforcement escalates around U.S.
Immigrant advocacy group Your Allied Rapid Response is seeing an influx of new volunteers wanting to become legal observers as federal immigration officials continue to escalate their enforcement tactics.
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Watsonville residents pack city’s downtown plaza to protest latest Minneapolis shooting, immigration enforcement
Hundreds filled Watsonville’s downtown plaza Sunday afternoon to protest immigration enforcement around the country and denounce the killing of a Minneapolis ICU nurse, just two weeks after a federal agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good.
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Watsonville City Council moves forward with changes to its oversized vehicle ordinance
The Watsonville City Council has approved changes to a local law that could ban RVs and semitrucks from parking along public streets citywide. The ordinance is slated for a second hearing Feb. 10 before being formally adopted.
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Hundreds of Watsonville High students walk out of class to take stand against immigration enforcement
Hundreds of Watsonville High School students staged a walkout Tuesday afternoon in protest of immigration-related enforcement. The protest follows the arrest of a Watsonville resident and reported ICE activity in the area over the weekend.
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At least one Watsonville resident detained by ICE over the weekend, advocacy group says
Immigration officials detained a Watsonville resident Sunday morning, according to grassroots organization Your Allied Rapid Response. ICE agents were also reported knocking on doors near Watsonville High School on Sunday.