A pleasant morning to you, friends and neighbors. It is Friday, Aug. 14, and Santa Cruz County is looking at another foggy, perhaps drizzly, morning, with clouds gradually clearing as the day goes on and temperatures again in the 60s and 70s.
I WANT TO … Become a Lookout member | Download the Lookout app | Browse latest news | Community Voices opinion | Get other Lookout newsletters | Solve a puzzle | Find local events | Advertise
Amid a spike in coyote sightings splashed across local social media, Jeff Thomas went looking for answers. He talked to Santa Cruz experts – including a four-legged one – about humans and coyotes crossing paths.
It’s been a busy summer in local theater, and with plenty more coming, Jana Marcus has a guide to what’s happening on Santa Cruz County stages this fall and winter. From Santa Cruz Shakespeare and Actors’ Theatre to Cabrillo College Theatre Arts, Mountain Community Theater and more, she writes, “the only thing more crowded than the stage this season might be your calendar.”
Max Chun has the latest on the Timber fire in Big Sur, which is at nearly 4,500 acres and has prompted the closure of some state parks and a stretch of Highway 1 in Monterey County. Containment has improved to 7%.
The Friday headlines also include an opening on Santa Cruz City Schools’ governing board and your cheat sheet to going out and eating well around Santa Cruz County this week. Let’s get it revved up.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here to receive Morning Lookout in your inbox every weekday.
You’re missing out on full access to Lookout
As a reader of Lookout’s newsletters, you get access to a limited number of free articles per month — but there’s much more! Members of Lookout Santa Cruz get full access to every article published by our team of on-the-ground correspondents. Join now to go beyond the headlines and dive deep into Lookout’s local coverage.
Ask a Santa Cruz coyote: Why are sightings spiking around town this summer – or are they?
Social media is buzzing with neighborhood coyote sightings, but local wildlife experts say it’s just business as usual. Here’s a quick, expert-backed guide on how to coexist with our four-legged neighbors this summer and beyond.
The applause isn’t over yet: Your fall/winter theater guide
Summer theater might be winding down, but the curtain isn’t closing anytime soon. Santa Cruz County’s stages are packed with comedies, dramas, musicals, opera, holiday favorites and a few surprises, giving audiences more reasons than ever to head to the theater. Jana Marcus previews it all.
DAILY DIGEST
As Friday unfolds and we roll into the weekend, make sure you’re keeping up with all of Lookout’s award-winning Santa Cruz County coverage. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to get our mix of news and views, games and breaking news notifications on that trusty smartphone; sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and for your pick of our library of other newsletters – all free. Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads are where you can connect with Lookout in the wilds of social media.
Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.
May your Friday be a smooth one, with a safe, relaxing weekend beyond. Thanks for reading!
Will McCahill