Good morning! It’s November 17 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…
A couple of showers in Aptos
Today will be more clouds than sun; cool with a couple of showers. There is a 84% chance of rain. The high will be 56 with a low of 45. Cloudy now, changing to showers at 9 a.m.
Top news from nearby
New Leaf Energy supports Santa Cruz County’s proposed battery storage regulations, which the Board of Supervisors will vote on Tuesday, potentially affecting future projects like the planned Watsonville facility.
Battery storage developer backs Santa Cruz County’s proposed new rules ahead of Tuesday vote
By Tania Ortiz
Nov 17, 2025
Carmageddon: As winter arrives, Santa Cruz County, Caltrans work to prep mountain roads
By Max Chun
Nov 17, 2025
The 2025 Lookout List
After thousands of votes across hundreds of categories, the winners and runner-ups are officially in for the inaugural Lookout List. See which of your favorites came out on top.
What’s new around you
▼︎ road incidents ▼︎ real estate ▼︎ food inspections ▼︎ events
Read on to see the details about each item…
Things to do in Aptos
Pilates & Posture with Horses
Horses are deeply attuned to nonverbal cues; our posture, breath, and inner state shape how they respond. When we’re centered, they notice. This gentl…
At BEYOND liberty, Center for Learning, Wellness, Sanctuary and Horse Retirement on November 17
Repeats 9 more times until December 17
Aptos Youth Chess Club
Come and play chess, one of the world’s oldest and most popular games, against other kids! One-hour meetings include 15 minutes of instruction by ches…
At Aptos Branch Library on November 18
Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region
- Alternating lanes are closed on North Highway 1 at Route 152 in Watsonville / Pajaro for paving work. The closure is expected to end at 5:01 a.m. today.
- A lane on southbound Highway 1 at Airport Blvd. in Watsonville / Pajaro is closed for guardrail work. The closure is expected to end at 5:59 a.m. today.
- Northbound Highway 9 at Prospect Avenue in San Lorenzo Valley is under one-way traffic control because of emergency work. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. on December 5.
- There is one-way traffic control on Highway 9 at 13.4 Bear Creek Road in San Lorenzo Valley because of work being done. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. today.
- A lane on Highway 9 at Glen Arbor Road (Upper) in San Lorenzo Valley is closed for ramp reconstruction. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. today.
- A lane is closed in both directions on Highway 9 at Main Street in San Lorenzo Valley because of ramp reconstruction. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. today.
Property development
- The Santa Cruz County Planning Department has received a zoning application for a proposed project at 111 El Camino Del Mar in Aptos. The application seeks approval to operate a three-bedroom vacation rental at this address. In order for this use to move forward, the property owner must obtain a Vacation Rental Permit from the county. (view application)
Restaurant inspections
County officials regularly inspect food facilities to ensure compliance with state laws. Here, Lookout Santa Cruz reports both those who have passed the inspections and those that the county deems to have a “major” issue. The county’s full ongoing report can be accessed here.
- Mentone at 174 Aptos Village Way, Aptos, passed a county health inspection on November 13 with no critical issues.
No crimes to report today
We checked with local police and there were no new incidents to report.
Disclosure: Traffic incidents and property development updates are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.