Good morning. It is Friday, Aug. 9, and you know this weather drill, Santa Cruz County: morning fog, sun later, temperatures ranging from the 70s to the 90s – and much the same into the weekend, though we’ll cool down a bit starting Sunday.
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The community was jolted overnight by the news of a shooting at the Crow’s Nest restaurant at the Santa Cruz Harbor. Police confirmed Friday morning that there were two victims; read on for more from Max Chun and Kevin Painchaud.
Max also has the latest on the death of a Santa Cruz 18-month-old from possible fentanyl exposure. Korisa Woll has been charged with murder, and friends and family say they’d been worried for months about the safety of the girl called “Baby Z” in court documents.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta has been the target of protesters over his support of Israel since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, and the latest action is a weeklong sit-in at the congressman’s Santa Cruz office, Christopher Neely reports. Activists say they’re playing “the long game” in efforts to sway public, and Panetta’s, opinion.
And as the Summer Games wind down in Paris, Wallace Baine catches up with one local who’s got a connection to a past and future Olympics host: Santa Cruzan Barry Staley was among those who ran with the Olympic torch in 1984 as it made its way to Los Angeles, site of the 2028 Summer Games.
Photo of the day
Safety-focused improvements continue around the intersection of Bay Avenue and Hill Street in Capitola, near where resident Debra Towne died last year after being struck in a hit-and-run accident. With the new school year adding walking and biking New Brighton Middle School and Soquel High School students to an already high-traffic stretch near Highway 1, city crews have recently painted sections of the road and installed bollards around the intersection. Per the City of Capitola, the work aims to reduce travel lanes and cut the number of vehicles entering the intersection at once, extending sidewalks with blue paint to shorten the distance for pedestrians crossing the roads and using green paint to mark bike lanes – with the painted areas protected by bollards. “These modifications are designed to be temporary measures,” the city site explains, “to assess their effectiveness.”
Two people shot outside crowded Crow’s Nest restaurant Thursday night
Santa Cruz police confirmed that two people were shot outside of the Crow’s Nest restaurant on Thursday night. Both remained in critical condition in hospital on Friday. Police are investigating a suspect and motive in the shooting and are encouraging witnesses to come forward. Max Chun and Kevin Painchaud report.
Before Santa Cruz infant’s death from possible fentanyl exposure, friends and family expressed worry
At a court appearance Wednesday for 38-year-old Korisa Woll, friends and family who know her and her recently deceased 18-month-old daughter – called “Baby Z” in court documents – say they had worried about the child’s safety for months before her death from possible fentanyl exposure. Woll has been charged with murder in her daughter’s death. More here from Max Chun.
DAILY DIGEST
Certainly not a slow news day around these parts, so if you’re looking to stay on top of Lookout’s Santa Cruz County coverage – and if you’ve read this far, I’m guessing you are – we’ve got you. Sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and text, and follow Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads. Among what’s still out there is Lily Belli’s Friday newsletter, Eaters Digest (which you can sign up for here), and we’ll also have an update on where things stand with local Olympians as we head into the Games’ final weekend.
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Here’s to a good Friday all around, and a safe, relaxing weekend beyond. I’ll see you all Monday.
Will McCahill