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Credit: Cecilia Schutz / Lookout Santa Cruz

Fatal clocktower stabbing case suspended as suspect is deemed mentally unfit to stand trial

By Cecilia Schutz

Criminal proceedings against Robert David Worel, the man charged in last month’s fatal stabbing at the clocktower plaza in downtown Santa Cruz, were suspended Monday after a judge ruled that Worel is mentally incompetent to stand trial.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

A Lookout View: Watsonville Community Hospital is too important to fail — but it can’t survive without transparency

By Lookout Editorial Board

Watsonville Community Hospital, a critical community lifeline, is under increasing financial strain and is actively seeking a major health care partner to help it evolve into a stronger regional hub. As those pressures grow, Lookout’s editorial board sought to better understand how leadership is managing the hospital, but found a level of transparency that falls short of what the public deserves. We see no indication of wrongdoing, but with physician shortages, aging infrastructure and heavy reliance on Medi-Cal funding, the stakes are rising quickly. Saving the hospital will require not only financial investment, but also trust, accountability and greater openness.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Carmageddon: Santa Cruz City Council eyes updates to active transportation plan; Bike Santa Cruz County annual survey

By Max Chun

The Santa Cruz City Council will vote on whether to approve this year’s updates to the city’s active transportation plan, a guide for implementing projects, policies and initiatives that promote and improve walking, biking and mass transit.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

District 4 County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez points to track record, experience in office as he makes bid for a second term

By Tania Ortiz

Current District 4 Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez spoke with Lookout about his first term, and responded to criticism from constituents over his stance on a battery storage facility proposed for outside Watsonville.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

OPINION: I helped design the male surfer statue – here’s why the female surfer monument deserves to move forward

By Brian W. Curtis

The proposed monument to women surfers in Pleasure Point is drawing both strong support and familiar resistance. But as a co-creator of Santa Cruz’s iconic “To Honor Surfing” statue, author Brian W. Curtis says he’s seen how meaningful public art can shape community identity. He believes the monument is thoughtfully designed and locally rooted and, since it’s privately funded, he says it won’t cost taxpayers anything. It’s time, he writes, to trust the vision and recognize the women who help define our surf culture.

Credit: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press

Billionaire tax proposal on track to qualify for California ballot, backers say

By Sophie Austin / Associated Press

A controversial proposal in California to temporarily increase taxes on billionaires has enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot, a labor union backing the measure said Monday.

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Best of Santa Cruz County events, April 27-30

Here are some events you may be interested in this week:

Monday, Apr. 27

Tuesday, Apr. 28

Wednesday, Apr. 29

Thursday, Apr. 30

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Max Chun is the general-assignment correspondent at Lookout Santa Cruz. Max’s position has pulled him in many different directions, seeing him cover development, COVID, the opioid crisis, labor, courts...