Lookout PM: Seacliff's long recovery, an encampment sweep on Coral Street, PCS's laptop policy change, and a point-in-time count preview

Welcome to Friday night’s Lookout PM.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Seacliff State Beach recovery inches forward without RV campground

By Grace Chinowsky

Three years after storms significantly damaged amenities at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, major rebuilding efforts won’t break ground until at least 2028, with larger projects unlikely before 2030.

Coral Street encampment cleared a week before PIT count

The City of Santa Cruz cleared an encampment near homelessness nonprofit Housing Matters on Coral Street on Wednesday, just over a week before the county’s annual 2026 point-in-time count of unhoused people.

CHP reports 32% decrease in e-bike crashes in Santa Cruz County in 2025

By Cecilia Schutz

Following a year of outreach and education efforts, the California Highway Patrol counted a 32% decrease in e-bike-related crashes within the agency’s jurisdiction in Santa Cruz County. Crashes dropped to 36 in 2025 after 53, including one fatal crash, in 2024.

Pacific Collegiate School changes laptop policy after student privacy concerns

By Grace Chinowsky

Weeks after issuing Chromebooks to all students, the charter school on Santa Cruz’s Westside revised its laptop policy after student feedback, adding limits on monitoring and an opt-out for older students.

Q&A: Housing for Health director predicts an increase in homelessness during this year’s point-in-time count

By Max Chun

Robert Ratner, Santa Cruz County’s Housing for Health director, predicts that next week’s point-in-time count of unhoused people will show an increase in homelessness, which he attributes to federal and state funding cuts and more requests from unhoused residents for help.

Credit: Mark Vancleave / Associated Press

Judge rules Trump administration must keep funding child care subsidies in five states, including California, for now

By Geoff Mulvihill / Associated Press

A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must keep federal funds flowing to child care subsidies and other social service programs in five Democratic-controlled states — including California — at least for now.

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