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Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Homeless Garden Project clears final roadblock to owning Natural Bridges Farm

By Lily Belli

Homeless Garden Project cleared the final major regulatory hurdle to purchasing the 4-acre Natural Bridges Farm it has leased on Santa Cruz’s Westside for three decades, paving the way for the nonprofit to establish the first permanent home in its 36-year history.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Meet the Santa Cruz swimmer who rewrote the record book at the Special Olympics USA Games

By Kevin Painchaud

Just one year after returning to competitive swimming, Santa Cruz’s Jessa Melcer became a record-breaking Special Olympics USA Games champion. Her journey from local pools to the national podium showcases the determination, confidence and community support behind her success.

Credit: Matt Slocum / Associated Press

This week in Santa Cruz County business: Diving into the 2026 county workforce report; downtown development signs first retail client

By Jessica M. Pasko

Jessica M. Pasko crunches the latest county jobs numbers, notes Bookie’s Pizza’s impending move to a new Pacific Avenue development and highlights other local comings and goings in her latest business roundup.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

In wake of national ICE traffic stop deaths, Santa Cruzans gather in grief and protest on Ocean Street

By Caly Luna Plowman

Driven by a rise in national ICE-involved deaths, Santa Cruz community members gathered Monday evening to honor two men killed during separate traffic stops over the past week. Organizers said the vigil is part of an ongoing effort to stand in solidarity with those targeted by aggressive immigration enforcement.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz expands undergraduate housing guarantee to two years starting this fall

By Hillary Ojeda

UC Santa Cruz will begin offering two years of guaranteed housing to its new undergraduate students starting this fall.

Credit: Rahul Lal / CalMatters

Here’s what the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ federal housing bill means for California

By Ben Christopher / CalMatters

The new federal housing law does a lot of little things. Supporters hope it will put a dent in both California and the nation’s housing shortage.

Upgrade your membership to support teachers — and double your impact for students in need

Lookout is contributing 10% of membership purchases or upgrades to United Way Santa Cruz County’s Stuff the Bus school supply drive, which provides backpacks full of supplies for local students experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and other hardships. More than 2,800 local students experienced homelessness during the 2024-25 school year, according to the Santa Cruz County Office of Education.

Every One-for-One membership provides free educational access for a local teacher, and right now, when you upgrade your membership, you’re also doubling your impact for local students in need.

Upgrade my membership

Support local students in need with your Lookout membership

Lookout is contributing 10% of each new membership to United Way Santa Cruz County’s Stuff the Bus school supply drive, which provides backpacks full of supplies for local students experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and other hardships. More than 2,800 local students experienced homelessness during the 2024-25 school year, according to the Santa Cruz County Office of Education.

Right now, your contribution is being matched, meaning each new annual membership fills a backpack for another local student in need.

Become a member and double your impact

Sign up for your Neighborhood Roundup. Sent every weekday morning, receive a neighborhood-specific roundup of the weather forecast, local news, crime reports, road closures, permit applications, restaurant inspections, upcoming events and more.

Best of Santa Cruz County events, July 17-19

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

Friday, Jul. 17

Saturday, Jul. 18

Sunday, Jul. 19

Add an event to our calendar

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...