Local drumming legend and live-looping pioneer Rick Walker is celebrating four career milestones — 60 years as a percussionist, 50 as a pro musician, 30 as a live looper and 25 running the Y2K International Live Looping Festival — with a genre-hopping solo show at the Cayuga Stage this Saturday.
Eastside / Live Oak / Pleasure Point
Eastside Santa Cruz, Live Oak and Pleasure Point neighborhoods
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.
Heat advisory in Santa Cruz County: Temperatures to reach 90s through Thursday
Santa Cruz County and much of California are under a heat advisory as peak temperatures are forecast to reach the low 90s in Santa Cruz and Watsonville and the upper 90s in the mountains.
Lookout in the Community: Trivia, election forums and more this September
At Lookout, we believe local journalism is about more than publishing stories. It’s about bringing people together, creating opportunities for conversation and helping our community stay informed and engaged. September is bringing plenty of opportunities to connect with the Lookout community – from a night of trivia with Wallace Baine to two local election forums.
Even bright people get confused about Santa Cruz housing – especially now in Seabright
The debate over Workbench’s proposed Bright Plaza project has become tangled in misunderstandings about what is actually being proposed, how the city approval process works, what qualifies as affordable housing and where higher-density housing belongs, writes affordable housing advocate and former Santa Cruz mayor Don Lane. Santa Cruz can disagree about development without letting misinformation, hyperbole and name-calling replace thoughtful debate, he writes. Before we decide what kinds of housing belong in our community, he insists that we should separate preliminary drawings from actual proposals, affordable housing from market-rate housing and legitimate concerns from exaggerated claims.
Suddenly Seabright? Where has Ryan Coonerty been on development all this time?
Ami Chen Mills, running for mayor of Santa Cruz, pushes back against the assertion by her opponent, Ryan Coonerty, that she has taken a stance “too late” on the project proposed at Seabright and Soquel avenues. She presents the politics behind the Seabright project, criticizes Coonerty’s record on development and local control and explains her own evolving approach to the housing crisis. She argues for truly affordable housing, tenant protections, neighborhood-scale development and stronger local oversight.
What families need to know about the free mental health services provided by Santa Cruz County public schools
Santa Cruz County schools are asking parents to share their children’s health insurance information – a no-cost step that could determine whether districts can afford to keep offering free student counseling and mental health services.
Central Coast issued red flag warning Friday with thunderstorms, lightning in forecast
Lightning strikes could result in fires and winds that could gust up to 50 mph may cause rapid fire spread. The National Weather Service also warns of an increased risk for power outages as the winds could bring tree limbs down onto power lines.
Santa Cruz Shakespeare goes big: Eight shows take the stage in 2027
Santa Cruz Shakespeare is going bigger than ever in 2027, with eight productions stretching from spring through winter, including a record four-show summer season. But at a warm gathering in the Audrey Stanley Grove on Monday night, the company also looked back, surprising former artistic director Mike Ryan by naming the Grove stage in his honor.
Santa Cruz County school board elections: Who’s running, who’s unopposed and which seats have no candidates
Here’s a guide to which Santa Cruz County school board and Cabrillo College races will appear on the November ballot, which candidates will be appointed without an election and which seats have no candidates at all.

