Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.
Westside / Downtown
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Indivisible follows up impromptu Sunday rally in Watsonville with anti-ICE protest in Santa Cruz
Hundreds of people gathered at the intersection of Ocean and Water streets in Santa Cruz on Monday afternoon to protest the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by immigration officers in Minnesota. The gathering came just one day after an emergency anti-ICE rally in Watsonville, which also brought hundreds of people together.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Sweeping encampments to ‘reduce’ homelessness is a Santa Cruz numbers game — not a solution
Clearing the Coral Street encampment days before the point-in-time count won’t house anyone — it just hides the problem, writes Food Not Bombs founder Keith McHenry. By scattering unhoused people out of sight, the City of Santa Cruz can claim progress while worsening daily survival. McHenry writes that he sees up to 200 people every week in rising meal lines in the city and folks complaining about lost tents and property. If Santa Cruz wants honest data and real solutions, he believes we have to stop mistaking displacement for success.
Posted inLatest News
UCSC police charge man with indecent exposure on campus
UC Santa Cruz police recently arrested and charged a man with indecent exposure after a staff member reported a young man committing a lewd act in a building on campus. He was previously accused of the same crime in October.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In the Public Interest: Monitoring ICE; temperature rising over rail line; protesting Trump immigration enforcement
Around Santa Cruz County politics & policy, including a look ahead at what’s on upcoming agendas for local elected officials and commissions.
Posted inFood & Drink
After 40 years, Alta Organic Coffee founder passes her legacy to a new generation
Founder Patti Spooner has passed Alta Organic Coffee, the Davenport-based roastery known for its dark roasts, to her granddaughter Lilly Spooner and “honorary granddaughter” Melia Spooner, ushering in a new generation for the 40-year-old family business.
Posted inLatest News
Coral Street encampment cleared a week before PIT count
The City of Santa Cruz cleared an encampment near homelessness nonprofit Housing Matters on Coral Street on Wednesday, just over a week before the county’s annual 2026 point-in-time count of unhoused people.
Posted inEducation
Pacific Collegiate School changes laptop policy after student privacy concerns
Weeks after issuing Chromebooks to all students, the charter school on Santa Cruz’s Westside revised its laptop policy after student feedback, adding limits on monitoring and an opt-out for older students.
Posted inFood & Drink
Weekender: Three weekend hits and ‘8 Tens @ 8’
Lily Belli spotlights a just-reopened Capitola Village favorite and two local newcomers, just part of your cheat sheet for eating well and going out in Santa Cruz County this weekend.
Posted inFood & Drink
Best of Santa Cruz County food & arts events this weekend, Jan. 22-25
With the weekend nearly here, check out things to do around Santa Cruz County, with a recommendation from Lookout correspondent Lily Belli and a specially curated list from Lookout’s BOLO events calendar.