Ivan Alcaraz, executive director of student services at Pajaro Valley Unified School District, has been placed on administrative leave after being charged by Watsonville police with sexual assault on Sept. 3. Alcaraz, 37, of Watsonville, has worked in the district for more than a decade, including as assistant principal at Watsonville High School, principal at Rolling Hills High School and the district’s director of student services.
Corralitos / Freedom
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley school board member Jennifer Holm resigns
Jennifer Holm has resigned as a member of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board of trustees effective Oct. 10, the district announced Tuesday evening. Holm, a former president of the board, has represented Area 7 on the board for the past six years. There are two years left on her term. According to a release from the district, she cited the “increasing demands” of her job as director of the nursing program at Cabrillo College.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Baine’s Nine: Nine necessary know-abouts for the week ahead in Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment, Aug. 29-Sept. 5
With the long weekend nearly here, get your B9 shot in the form of Baine’s Nine, Wallace Baine’s recommendations for things to do around Santa Cruz County via Lookout’s BOLO events calendar.
Posted inEducation
Aptos High School student named to Pajaro Valley school board
Daniel Esquada, a 12th grade student at Aptos High School, will be appointed by the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board of trustees Wednesday as a student trustee.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County 2024 elections: What we know at the filing deadline about who is running
The field is set for Santa Cruz County’s nonpartisan general election on Nov. 5. Scotts Valley Mayor Randy Johnson chose not to seek reelection after 28 years on the city council. In Watsonville, former Cabrillo College trustee Martha Vega is challenging Mayor Vanessa Quiroz-Carter for city council. And there are competitive races for offices ranging from county supervisor to local fire districts. But not all of the 108 seats up for election have attracted candidates, and most races will not be competitive.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville woman had stab wounds; death being investigated as homicide
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has determined that Lizbeth Arceo Sedano, the Watsonville woman whose body was found along a hiking trail in the Rattlesnake Gulch area on Sunday, died from multiple stab wounds to her torso. It is investigating the death as a homicide while it continues to hold the father of her 3-year-old daughter.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville woman found dead in Corralitos day after police reported her missing
The body of 25-year-old Lizbeth Arceo Sedano was found in Corralitos on Sunday morning, just about 12 hours after the father of her child was shot by police in an altercation near the Watsonville police station. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Sedano’s death as “suspicious.”
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Study: California wildfire smoke contributed to 52,000 premature deaths over 10 years
When wildfires rage, the immediate threat is obvious – but smoke from the fires actually kills far more people than the flames. As fires become more frequent, that smoke is leading to a public health crisis. In a new study published in the journal Science Advances, we found that wildfire smoke likely contributed to more […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Cannabis industry’s sad state prompts changes across Santa Cruz County
Statewide, the cannabis industry has not wafted in quite the economic boom it promised. Now, lawmakers in Santa Cruz County, Watsonville and the city of Santa Cruz are looking at changes to their local rules.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
B9: Nine necessary arts and entertainment know-abouts for the week ahead
Here they are, nine events and happenings carefully curated just for you. It’s the midsummer’s-dream B9 list: