Lookout PM: Local businesses participating in ‘national shutdown,’ aiming for a more accurate point-in-time count, local soup recommendations, and county roads’ tight budget

More local businesses, groups announce closures for anti-ICE national shutdown Friday

More Santa Cruz County businesses and community groups are closing or taking action Friday as part of a national shutdown protesting violent immigration enforcement and the killings of anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis. Restaurants, retailers and organizations from Felton to Watsonville announced closures, donations or solidarity actions, while students and health care workers also organized rallies and demonstrations.

While still an imperfect process, tweaks to point-in-time count outreach could result in more accurate tally this year

Volunteers from all over Santa Cruz County met at the crack of dawn Thursday to conduct this year’s point-in-time count, an annual attempt to estimate the number of unhoused community members. While the count is never complete, housing professionals hope that a few changes to their strategy will help generate a more accurate count this year.

Slurps up: 8 bowls of soup for winter in Santa Cruz County

By Lily Belli

Santa Cruz County is famous for January beach days, but winter is still the season of the soup. This guide rounds up eight standout bowls — from oversized pho and spicy bún bò huế to luxurious khao soi and seafood-studded chowder — all regular-menu staples vetted for flavor and value.

Santa Cruz nurses organize actions during anti-ICE ‘national shutdown’ Friday

By Hillary Ojeda and Max Chun

Santa Cruz nurses are organizing for Friday’s national “day of no school, no work and no shopping” to protest recent killings of anti-ICE activists and others in federal immigration custody, including ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Road network considered in ‘fair’ condition, but Santa Cruz County needs a lot more money just to maintain that

By Max Chun

Santa Cruz County’s road network is in “fair” condition, according to its public works department. However, there is a large funding gap between the current budget for paving and what is needed to simply maintain conditions as the county braces for another tight budget in the upcoming fiscal year.

OPINION: We’re reducing homelessness in Santa Cruz County; now we must fight to keep the funding

By Mer Stafford

Santa Cruz County is bucking national trends, significantly reducing homelessness through sustained investment, coordination and compassion, writes Mer Stafford, the chair of the Coalition to End Homelessness in Santa Cruz County. But, with this year’s point-in-time count happening Thursday, those gains are now at risk as state and federal funding for housing and homelessness programs face deep cuts. Losing this support would push hundreds of people back into homelessness and undo years of hard-won progress. Stafford urges residents to contact local and state leaders to protect the funding that’s working.