Monterey County officials continue to monitor the fire scene at the battery storage facility in Moss Landing where flames erupted Friday morning. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office lifted its shelter-in-place order Friday afternoon.
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
Fire reignites at Moss Landing battery plant; Monterey County officials issue shelter-in-place order
Residents near the Moss Landing battery plant were under a shelter-in-place order after a fire erupted at the facility early Friday morning.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Music is in my blood’: Santana singer Andy Vargas returns to Watsonville for Santa Cruz County Fair performance with his dad
Santana’s lead singer, Andy Vargas, will return to his hometown of Watsonville to perform at the Santa Cruz County Fair on Friday night. His father, celebrated mariachi musician Javier Vargas, will join him onstage.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘La música está en mi sangre’: el cantante de Santana, Andy Vargas, regresa a Watsonville para presentarse con su padre en la Feria del Condado de Santa Cruz
Andy Vargas, cantante principal de Santana, regresará a su ciudad natal de Watsonville para presentarse el viernes por la noche en la Feria del Condado de Santa Cruz. Su padre, el reconocido músico de mariachi Javier Vargas, lo acompañará en el escenario.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Proposed ballot measure requiring voter approval for AI data centers fails
A proposed ballot measure that would have required voter approval on artificial intelligence data centers failed to move forward at Tuesday’s Santa Cruz County supervisors meeting, with elected officials saying there is not an “urgent need” as there are no projects being proposed in the county.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Santa Cruz County Fair just got cheaper – here’s how much you’ll save
Prices for admission and parking at the Santa Cruz County Fair have decreased, with organizers hoping to draw more families to the yearly event at the county fairgrounds in Watsonville and make it more affordable.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
La Feria del Condado de Santa Cruz acaba de bajar de precio: aquí te contamos cuánto ahorrarás
Los precios de entrada y estacionamiento para la Feria del Condado de Santa Cruz han disminuido, con la esperanza de atraer a más familias al evento anual y hacerlo más accesible, según funcionarios de la feria.
Posted inLatest News
Nearly 6,500 Capitola and Live Oak residents without power; outage caused by equipment issue
Nearly 6,500 residents in Capitola and Live Oak are without power Wednesday afternoon, according to PG&E officials.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville Police Department receives federal grant for crime analysis
The Watsonville Police Department is receiving a $22,285 federal grant that will help fund the department’s ongoing efforts to understand crime patterns within the city.
Posted inLatest News
Monterey County blazes: Timber fire passes 25,000 acres, containment up to 23%; Plaskett fire now 29,000 acres, still 1% contained
Crews are trying to make progress on the Timber and Plaskett fires, which continue to burn near Big Sur in Monterey County. Containment of the Timber fire inched up to 23% as it had scorched roughly 25,226 acres as of Wednesday night. Farther south, the Plaskett fire was up to 29,123 acres, with containment still only 1%.
