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Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz fences off Coral Street sidewalks, initially citing wrong law

By Max Chun

The City of Santa Cruz recently fenced off sidewalks along Coral Street near homeless services provider Housing Matters, blocking access to the area. Signs on the fences initially cited the wrong code — a city spokesperson said they should have referenced a state penal code. Homeless advocates question the legal grounds for this move, calling it a tool to discriminate against unhoused people who were already subjected to frequent sweeps in the area.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

OPINION: We fought over it. Now what will we make of our new library in downtown Santa Cruz?

By Don Lane

Santa Cruz’s new downtown library and affordable housing project has hardly been without controversy — but after years of debate, the building is rising, writes affordable housing advocate and former mayor Don Lane. Now the question is less about who supported the project and more about what we want this new civic space to become. With its expanded Life Literacies Center, free resources and room for people to gather, Lane believes the library could become downtown’s living room – and a place to bring a divided community together.

Credit: Driscoll's

New Driscoll’s CEO Brie Reiter Smith succeeds Soren Bjorn

By Lily Belli

Brie Reiter Smith, vice chair of Driscoll’s board of directors, has replaced Soren Bjorn as chief executive officer, the Watsonville-based company announced on Tuesday.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Amid fiscal crisis, Santa Cruz County supervisors table discussion of their own pay

By Tania Ortiz

Santa Cruz County supervisors have tabled until January a discussion on potential changes to how their salaries are determined, following concerns from several board members, who pointed out that bringing up the issue while the county faces budgetary issues is “not a good look.”

Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / CalMatters

With clock ticking, California lawmakers reject key parts of Newsom’s wildfire plan

By Jeanne Kuang / CalMatters and Levi Sumagaysay / CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom is rushing a plan to provide financial relief to utilities facing massive lawsuit payouts because of California wildfires. Some lawmakers are fighting it.

Credit: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press

Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states in landmark trial over teen social media addiction

By Barbara Ortutay / Associated Press

Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, state attorneys general announced Wednesday.

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Best of Santa Cruz County events, August 28-30

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

Friday, Aug. 28

Saturday, Aug. 29

Sunday, Aug. 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...