Good morning and happy July, friends. Max here again taking over for Will, who is on a much deserved vacation. Hope everyone had a restful weekend ahead of any festivities planned for later this week. It looks like it’s going to be a pretty warm start to the week, with temperatures from the high-70s to mid-80s throughout.
JUMP TO … Latest News | Opinion | Events | Job Board | Puzzles
We’ll begin the morning back up on Mountain Charlie Road, where Christopher Neely reports that a virtual town hall last week offered a glimmer of hope for the isolated and distressed residents — even if it’s a small glimmer. The county got the OK to include the road on a list of damages from the 2024 federally declared disaster, but any FEMA money is still uncertain.
A new California state law taking effect today requires food service businesses to state any service fees upfront and explain what the money is going towards. Lily Belli explains how it might affect your bill, and shares some local restaurateurs’ thoughts on the legislation.
Last week, I went to a Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission public input session where residents got to check out and share thoughts about the possible vehicles that may operate a planned passenger rail service in the future. Project leads also spoke about the factors they must consider when making a decision.
Now, let’s get into the headlines.
Isolated Mountain Charlie residents receive a reality check — and some hope — following community meeting
Life for dozens of families has been disrupted since a February landslide knocked out an important Santa Cruz Mountain thoroughfare. During a town hall meeting last week, county officials estimated a permanent fix to, at best, be three years away. Continue reading…
California’s new service fee ban takes effect today: How it will affect your bill at bars and restaurants
A new California law regulating service fees – mandatory charges often calculated as a percentage of the total before tax – went into effect statewide Monday. It will require food service businesses like restaurants and bars to state any service fees upfront, alongside an explanation of where the money is going. These fees became popular at restaurants in the wake of the pandemic and are often said to support employee benefits like health care and wages. Continue reading…
DAILY DIGEST
That’s a wrap on Monday morning here at Lookout, and as you can see, we’re off to a great start to the week. Feel free to sign up here to get all of our newsletters and breaking news alerts delivered straight to you. If you’re on social, consider connecting with us! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.
And, of course, please consider becoming a Lookout member if you aren’t already. We can’t do what we do without you.
With that, enjoy the rest of your day. I’ll see y’all right back here tomorrow morning.
Max Chun