Good morning everyone. It’s Thursday, July 31, and the forecast calls for another warm summer day to Santa Cruz County, with fog and cloud burning off, revealing summer skies and temperatures in the mid-70s.
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Traffic has “probably tripled” on Cayuga Street since the Murray Street Bridge closure, residents tell Max Chun, heightening long-standing safety concerns in an area with a history of fatal collisions.
Cabrillo College officially launched a national search for its new president, Hillary Ojeda writes. The school’s next leader will face significant challenges, including declining enrollment, multimillion-dollar deficits, and Cabrillo’s first student housing project.
Watsonville lost a $2.3-million federal grant meant to study heavy truck traffic impacts on residential streets after President Donald Trump’s “One, Big Beautiful Bill” rescinded funding from a Biden-era transportation grant program.
Pajaro Valley Unified trustees rejected a no-confidence vote in board leadership while working to establish formal procedures for law enforcement officers in schools.
And in Community Voices, county parks director Jeff Gaffney outlines efforts to preserve monarch butterfly habitat at Moran Lake County Park.
Let’s get to it!
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Murray Street Bridge closure puts spotlight on long-standing safety concerns on Midtown’s Cayuga Street
By Max Chun
Residents of Cayuga Street in Santa Cruz say that they’ve dealt with unsafe drivers and both accidents and near misses for years now, but that the Murray Street Bridge closure has highlighted those concerns again due to increased traffic through the neighborhood. City officials say that the street is likely to see changes with funds from a new transportation grant.
Cabrillo College begins search for new leader to navigate budget shortfalls, declining enrollment and looming federal threats
By Hillary Ojeda
Cabrillo College has launched a national search for its next president, who will be tasked with addressing enrollment declines, multimillion-dollar budget deficits, and the college’s first on-campus housing project amid a challenging political and financial landscape. The new leader will succeed Matt Wetstein and must also navigate high housing costs, shifting federal policies, and growing calls for educational equity and community engagement.
DAILY DIGEST
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That’s all for now — enjoy your Thursday!
Tamsin McMahon