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Credit: Max Chun / Lookout Santa Cruz

Sheriff says ICE gave no warning before agents showed up at Santa Cruz County jail

By Tania Ortiz

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark told Lookout that his department was not aware that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were planning to be at Santa Cruz Main Jail on Saturday.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Watsonville Community Hospital board to consider closing maternity services, NICU at Wednesday meeting

By Tania Ortiz

Watsonville Community Hospital’s board is scheduled to decide whether to shutter the facility’s labor and delivery services and neonatal intensive care unit as the financially struggling hospital faces mounting losses. Nurses, doctors and community members are urging leaders to find alternatives, warning that closures could limit access to critical care for mothers and newborns across the region.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Carmageddon: Highway 9 sidewalk and bicycle improvements in Felton expected to wrap up in summer 2027

By Max Chun

Residents of Santa Cruz County’s mountain communities got updates on ongoing extensive safety improvements along the Highway 9 corridor, including improved sidewalks and bicycle facilities for everyone in the area, but more specifically San Lorenzo Valley students.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz students could lose campus BCycle e-bike stations as contract talks stall

By Kate Lipsky

UC Santa Cruz’s five-year agreement with BCycle could end early as the e-bike rental company seeks more university funding, citing bike and docking-station damage and rising operating costs. The bikes will remain on campus through at least the end of fall quarter, but students who rely on the service could lose access to campus stations if negotiations fail.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

OPINION: A Lookout View: Yes on Scotts Valley’s Measure G

By Lookout Editorial Board

Lookout’s editorial board supports the Scotts Valley hotel tax, Measure G. It makes sense for the city, given its looming budget deficit, and is only a modest increase for visitors.

Credit: Fred Greaves for CalMatters

California has more revenue than expected thanks to AI. Should the state save it?

By Yue Stella Yu / CalMatters

Proponents say Proposition 2 would allow the state to shore up its reserves for an economic downturn. Critics say it would only allow state leaders to spend more in the future.

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Best of Santa Cruz County events, October 26-29

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

Monday, Oct. 26

Tuesday, Oct. 27

Wednesday, Oct. 28

Thursday, Oct. 29

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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...