Good morning. Tuesday, Sept. 1, is here, and it’ll feel a little like fall around Santa Cruz County, with morning clouds giving way to sunshine later and highs 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
Tania Ortiz starts things off with an update on the two wildfires burning south of us in Monterey County. Both the Timber fire, which started in Big Sur on Aug. 9, and the Plaskett fire, which ignited about 25 miles farther south on Aug. 26, have surpassed 25,000 acres.
Hillary Ojeda has news on a new chief budget officer for Pajaro Valley Unified School District, which has seen high turnover in the role in recent years. PVUSD trustee are looking to veteran administrator Victoria Knutson to help the district as it enters the next phase of stabilizing its budget: school closures.
It’s been a roller coaster few days for Santa Cruz native Ashtyn Davis, who was released by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday – only to land back with the team Monday after other roster moves opened up a spot for the 29-year-old safety.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, student Amanda Lee-Shen’s experience with dangerous water at Pinto Lake sparked a mission to help others stay safe on Santa Cruz County’s waters. She explains why checking lake conditions for harmful algal blooms should be as routine as checking the weather.
Let’s get to those Tuesday headlines.
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.
Timber, Plaskett fires grow in Monterey County; Highway 1 closed in two areas
Crews are trying to make progress on the Timber and Plaskett fires, which continue to burn near Big Sur in Monterey County. The Timber fire has scorched roughly 25,190 acres and is only 22% contained. The Plaskett fire has only grown since last week, burning 26,734 acres and only 1% contained. Tania Ortiz has the latest.
Pajaro Valley Unified hires new chief business officer after years of CBO turnover
Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s governing board hired Victoria Knutson, currently Newark Unified’s chief business officer, to fill the CBO role at a $248,418 salary — the district’s fourth person in that position in roughly three years, as trustees hope her experience will help guide upcoming school closures. Details here from Hillary Ojeda.
DAILY DIGEST
There’s more coming from Lookout as Tuesday unfolds, including the latest from Santa Cruz County’s culinary scene in the form of Lily Belli on Food – one of the many other free newsletters and breaking news alerts I highly recommend you sign up for here. Breaking news notifications are also one of the many features of the Lookout Santa Cruz app, a key addition you can download to your smartphone from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads are where you can keep tabs on Lookout via social media.
Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.
Thank you for reading – have a super Tuesday.
Will McCahill