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Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Hundreds of Watsonville High students walk out of class to take a stand against immigration enforcement

By Tania Ortiz and Kevin Painchaud

Hundreds of Watsonville High School students staged a walkout Tuesday afternoon in protest of immigration-related enforcement. The protest follows the arrest of a Watsonville resident and reported ICE activity in the area over the weekend.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Aptos resident claims he found gun, ammo near Aptos High School as investigation continues

By Grace Chinowsky

An Aptos resident says he found a gun near Aptos High School during a morning walk with his dog on Sunday, setting off an ongoing law enforcement investigation. He described the incident, which has not been confirmed by police, as “divine intervention.”

Credit: California Public Department of Health

Poisonous death cap mushrooms kill three, sicken dozens on Central Coast, including two in Santa Cruz County

By Lily Belli

Toxic death cap mushrooms have sickened more than 30 people and killed three across coastal Northern California, but Santa Cruz County has seen relatively few cases despite its strong foraging culture.

Credit: Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission

Carmageddon: What is a common carrier and what changes for RTC if and when it takes on that role for rail line?

By Max Chun

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission moved to boot the operator of part of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line and take on the “common carrier” role itself. This is mostly an administrative and bureaucratic change, but has to happen for the passenger rail or a trail over the tracks to happen.

Credit: Davis Banta / Right Hand Creative

‘8 Tens @ 8’ short play festival turns 30 and still moves fast

By Jana Marcus

Santa Cruz County Actors’ Theatre launches its 30th edition of the “8 Tens @ 8” festival with a lively Night “A” that offers a brisk, entertaining sampler of short plays that range from laugh-out-loud funny to quietly touching. It’s a crowd-pleasing reminder of why this beloved festival has thrived for three decades.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Capitola library to cut ribbon on long-awaited solar and battery storage project

By Cecilia Schutz

A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for Saturday at the Capitola Branch Library to celebrate a solar and battery storage project years in the making.

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Upcoming Santa Cruz County events, January 20-22

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

Tuesday, Jan. 20

Wednesday, Jan. 21

Thursday, Jan. 22

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...