Hello, Santa Cruz County friends and neighbors. It is Wednesday, Feb. 12, and wet weather is on the way, with the National Weather Service issuing a flood watch and a high wind watch starting Wednesday night, when heavy rain is forecast.
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This latest storm could bring as much as 8 inches of rain to the Santa Cruz Mountains and 4 to 6 elsewhere in the county; an NWS spokesperson told Lookout “there is a risk of landslides” from soil saturated by recent rains as well as of fallen trees and branches from the wind.
The question of whether to release Adrian Gonzalez is now in the hands of a jury, Max Chun reports, after prosecution and defense made closing statements Tuesday. Gonzalez was convicted in the 2015 rape and murder of Santa Cruz 8-year-old Madyson Middleton; he turned 25 last fall, necessitating this trial after aging out of the state’s juvenile justice system.
Hillary Ojeda previews Wednesday night’s meeting of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District governing board, at which trustees are expected to vote to lay off the equivalent of more than 100 full-time employees. That’s part of district efforts to follow through on more than $5 million in budget cuts approved last month.
The Wednesday headlines also including this week’s local business roundup from Jessica M. Pasko and Lily Belli’s recommendations for Valentine’s Day (and Galentine’s Day) adventures around the world of Santa Cruz County food & drink – away we go.
The Lookout Santa Cruz app is available now in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Learn more here.
Attorneys deliver closing statements in Adrian Gonzalez trial; jury begins deliberation
The attorneys in Adrian Gonzalez’s trial for release gave lengthy closing arguments on Tuesday before the court sent the jury to deliberate on the fate of the 25-year-old convicted of the 2015 murder of Santa Cruz 8-year-old Madyson Middleton. Prosecutor Tara George argued that Gonzalez is nowhere near ready for release and continues to deceive people about who he really is, while Gonzalez attorney Charlie Stevens said that he is not the same person he was when he committed the crime nearly a decade ago and has learned to deal with the mental health issues that created the conditions for the crime. Max Chun was in the courtroom.
Latest storm system headed for Santa Cruz County brings elevated flood, landslide risk
The Santa Cruz Mountains could see 8 inches of rain, and the rest of the county as much as 6 inches, as another winter storm barrels into the area. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch and a high wind watch from Wednesday evening through Saturday evening. Details here.
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There’s plenty more on the way Wednesday from Lookout, so please stay tuned. How, you ask? Sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and text, and for all of our other newsletters; connect with Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads to keep current via social media; and download the new Lookout Santa Cruz app, available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
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Be safe out there – catch you all next time.
Will McCahill