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Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

What’s going on with the Davenport cement plant? Pacific Elementary superintendent has a big idea

By Hillary Ojeda

Pacific Elementary Superintendent Eric Gross is pitching an ambitious plan to purchase and redevelop the long-shuttered 172-acre Davenport cement plant into a new school campus with workforce housing and public safety facilities, backed by an anonymous local philanthropist willing to fund the acquisition and cleanup.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Roses are red, doughnuts are, too: Six love-soaked desserts to try this Valentine’s Day

By Lily Belli

As Americans gear up to spend a record $29.1 billion on Valentine’s Day, Santa Cruz County bakeries are offering maximalist, joy-sparking desserts.

Credit: Workbench

Supervisors reject neighbors’ appeal of 57-unit Capitola Road project

By Tania Ortiz

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has rejected an appeal filed by Live Oak residents to stop a 57-unit housing project that used the state builder’s remedy mechanism, which allows the project to override local approval.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

School board to discuss issuing letter barring district trustee Gabe Medina from Pajaro Valley High

By Hillary Ojeda

Pajaro Valley Unified School District board members will decide at Wednesday night’s meeting whether to restrict fellow trustee Gabe Medina from the Pajaro Valley High School campus after he had an argument with the principal late last month.

Credit: Parallel Flight Technologies

This week in Santa Cruz County business: La Selva Beach drone company inks Spanish partner; Watsonville’s economic matchmaker

By Jessica M. Pasko

Parallel Flight Technologies has enlisted help in adapting its Firefly drone for maritime environments, Jessica M. Pasko reports in this week’s look around Santa Cruz County business.

Credit: Santa Cruz County Fair

2026 Santa Cruz County Fair theme revealed

By Ashley Palma-Jimenez

After a monthlong contest to select a theme that celebrates the nation’s 250th birthday, the Santa Cruz County Fair has one for its 2026 edition: “Apple Pies and Starry Skies!”

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Best of Santa Cruz County events, February 13-15

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

Friday, Feb. 13

Saturday, Feb. 14

Sunday, Feb. 15

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...