People who live near Moss Landing still have more questions than answers about the massive fire that started Jan. 16, 2025, at the world’s second-largest battery storage facility.
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
Un año después del incendio masivo en la instalación de almacenamiento de baterías de Moss Landing, los residentes cercanos tienen más preguntas que respuestas
Las personas que viven cerca de Moss Landing aún tienen más preguntas que respuestas sobre el incendio masivo que comenzó el 16 de enero de 2025 en la segunda instalación de almacenamiento de baterías más grande del mundo.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville Community Hospital faces shortage of ICU nurses as it continues to struggle financially
Administrators at Watsonville Community Hospital say they’ll need to make difficult decisions to keep it operating, which doesn’t sit well with nurses. Meanwhile, there’s a staffing shortage in the intensive care unit, and nurses are rallying to keep it and other essential departments open.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Supervisors move battery storage rules forward to environmental review; some residents are disappointed
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve new regulations for battery storage facilities, despite opposition from residents who want a more stringent ordinance. The rules will now undergo environmental review.
Posted inLatest News
‘Things are going to get better for me’: Resident moving into Watsonville ‘tiny village’ says the housing will provide her stability
Connie Moreno will be one of the first residents of Watsonville’s long-awaited “tiny village” for people living along the Pajaro River levee. She tells Lookout ahead of move-in day on Monday that the shelter offers stability after years of living along the levee.
Posted inLatest News
Residents gather in Watsonville to remember life of woman killed by immigration officer in Minneapolis
About 100 people gathered in Watsonville on Thursday evening to remember Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old woman shot and killed by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Posted inLatest News
Cleanup of Moss Landing battery facility continues under EPA oversight; Phase 2 of building demolition to start mid-2026
Battery cleanup and disposal continues at the Moss Landing battery storage facility that burned almost a year ago, according to Monterey County officials. Approximately 12,000 of the 35,772 batteries have been removed and transported for recycling.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Latest version of county’s proposed battery storage rules includes water, soil monitoring, insurance bonds for developers
Santa Cruz County officials published an updated version of proposed regulations for battery storage facilities ahead of a second hearing on the proposed rules on Tuesday.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville residents take to the streets to criticize Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela
Nearly 40 Watsonville residents took to the streets Saturday afternoon to protest the Trump administration conducting a military attack on Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The U.S. military conducted large-scale air strikes in Caracas, the country’s capitol, early Saturday morning, and later captured Maduro and […]
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville resident who received liver transplant to participate in Rose Parade
A Watsonville teen will be one of seven organ transplant recipients to be honored in the Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day by an organ procurement nonprofit, Donor Network West. The 18-year-old, along with several organ transplant recipients from Northern California and Nevada, will ride on the “Donate Life Float,” which highlights the […]