The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will receive a progress report on a road funding study and local transportation funding and investments at its Tuesday meeting. The study is in response to significant public input on road conditions and the push for more funding.
Westside / Downtown
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz mayor: Coonerty continues to lead Chen Mills at the end of election week
Former mayor and longtime local politician Ryan Coonerty continues leading Ami Chen Mills at the end of election week.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County 2026 general election in charts: The latest results after Friday’s update
Find the results for all local races in Santa Cruz County’s 2026 general election here. Lookout will update this page as new results come in.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘The community’s living room’: Bookshop Santa Cruz celebrates 60 years of endurance
Bookshop Santa Cruz has been a fixture of the downtown area for six decades, weathering upheaval in the form of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the rise of chain bookstores at the turn of the 21st century and the COVID-19 pandemic. Store owner Casey Coonerty Protti said they owe everything to the people of Santa Cruz.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz County Jail expands free video visits for families amid increased ICE activity
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is expanding its free video visits for people in the county jail for the next 30 days amid increased enforcement activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the area.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Santa Cruz County business: Seymour Center’s whale skeleton returns; Dungeness crab season delayed again
In her weekly roundup of Santa Cruz County business headlines, Jessica M. Pasko notes a milestone for the Westside’s beloved Ms. Blue, another delayed start for commercial Dungeness crab season, a boom in downtown Santa Cruz and plenty more names, numbers and dates to know.
Posted inInside Lookout
Giving back and finding community this November
November offers a bounty of opportunities for Santa Cruz County residents to gather and be in community with one another. From local fundraisers and volunteer opportunities to seasonal celebrations, here are some ways to get involved and give back this month.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Oliver Tree fans return to Santa Cruz for Día de los Muertos tribute at singer’s gravesite
Fans traveled from across the West Coast to Santa Cruz’s Evergreen Cemetery for a Día de los Muertos tribute to hometown musician Oliver Tree, who died in a helicopter crash in Brazil in June. The gathering also offered a glimpse into his enduring legacy, with his family revealing plans for a substantial archive of unreleased music, books, films and other creative projects, as well as a grant program for emerging artists.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz mayoral candidates Chen Mills, Coonerty face campaign ad controversies just before Election Day
Campaign advertisements for both Ami Chen Mills and Ryan Coonerty received criticism on social media over the weekend. A volunteer-made Chen Mills poster was accused for being antisemetic, while a Coonerty poster on a fire truck in the closed area of Pacific Avenue on Halloween was criticized for using a city-owned vehicle for a political campaign, and for potentially blocking emergency services should they have needed to access the area.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
29 new businesses have opened in downtown Santa Cruz since 2025. Here’s why.
Downtown Santa Cruz has welcomed 29 new businesses since January 2025, with locally owned shops and restaurants helping revive a commercial district that struggled with nearly 40 empty storefronts post-pandemic. New housing, increased foot traffic and city programs designed to attract businesses are helping fuel the growth, with 11 more businesses on the horizon.
