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Credit: Joel Levine via Wikimedia Commons

Watsonville nonprofit changes name of award following allegations against labor leader César Chávez

By Tania Ortiz

Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services is renaming its community impact awards following sexual abuse allegations against labor leader César Chávez.

Credit: Via Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff’s office investigating fire at Bonny Doon fire station as arson

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an early morning fire at a county fire station in Bonny Doon as arson.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

ICE officials visited Watsonville at least nine times in the first two months of 2026, records show

By Tania Ortiz

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have visited Watsonville at least nine times in the past two months, according to records provided by the Watsonville Police Department. Immigration agents have now visited Santa Cruz County a total of 39 times since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

UC and graduate worker union reach agreement, averting strike

By Hillary Ojeda

The University of California and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative four-year contract agreement covering more than 40,000 graduate student workers and staff, averting a planned strike following months of dispute over alleged unfair labor practices.

Credit: Unnatural Products / LinkedIn

This week in Santa Cruz County business: Santa Cruz biotech company nets new funding; RiverRow marks city’s first riverfront development

By Jessica M. Pasko

The Westside’s Unnatural Products lands $45 million more for its work to develop treatments for certain types of rare cancers and diseases, Jessica M. Pasko reports in her weekly survey of local business. Downtown Santa Cruz housing plus names, numbers and dates to know are also on the menu.

Credit: George Brich / Associated Press

Labor rights leader Dolores Huerta says she was sexually abused by César Chávez

By Fernanda Figueroa / Associated Press

Labor rights leader Dolores Huerta says she was sexually abused by César Chávez amid reported allegations of abuse by others during his tenure as president of the United Farm Workers union.

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Best of Santa Cruz County events, March 20-22

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

Friday, Mar. 20

Saturday, Mar. 21

Sunday, Mar. 22

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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...