Ahoy, readers. Thursday, Dec. 11, has arrived, bringing Santa Cruz County sunny skies that’ll see temperatures hit the mid-60s to mid-70s – and our shores are under a beach hazards statement that’ll last through the weekend.
JUMP TO … The Lookout List Winners | Neighborhood Roundup | Latest News | Opinion | Briefs | Event Calendar | Job Board | Puzzles | Story Map
A plan that allows parents to designate a caregiver for their children in case of emergencies like deportation should be part of state law, Santa Cruz County immigrant advocates are telling California’s attorney general. “There’s no knowing what can happen at any time, and it’s just so important that this is one little peace of mind that we can offer in this time of fear,” the local attorney who helped create the Childcare Safety Plan tells Tania Ortiz.
Public records requests by a local grassroots coalition show that California law enforcement agencies searched Santa Cruz’s Flock Safety camera data on behalf of federal agencies thousands of times over the past approximately 18 months, Max Chun reports. Get The Flock Out argues that the searches violate state laws.
After military veterans packed this week’s meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors to advocate for changes at the county Veterans Services Office, Mat Weir reports, supervisors and the county’s chief executive say they’ll take steps to address those concerns.
Hillary Ojeda spoke with the ex-boyfriend of the Utah woman who briefly went missing last month, with Alex Nunez denying domestic violence charges and blaming a miscommunication between the Santa Cruz County court and a bail bonds company for his failure to appear.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, former Santa Cruz mayor and housing advocate Don Lane pushes back on a recent op-ed he says misrepresents the origins and intent of the city’s recently passed Measure C and ignores the broad coalition that created it. Lane points to Santa Cruz’s strong affordable housing record and rejects claims that the city misuses housing funds.
A packed set of Thursday headlines also includes PG&E’s plans to use drones to inspect power lines around the county – read on.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here to receive Morning Lookout in your inbox every weekday.
Immigration advocates, nonprofits push for statewide adoption of Childcare Safety Plan as enforcement continues nationwide
Santa Cruz County immigration advocates and nonprofits are asking California Attorney General Rob Bonta to adopt into a new state law a plan that helps families prepare for unexpected emergencies such as deportation. Here’s the story from Tania Ortiz.
Anti-Flock group finds that state agencies accessed SCPD camera data thousands of times on feds’ behalf since mid-2024
Numerous California law enforcement agencies searched the Santa Cruz Police Department’s Flock camera data thousands of times in the past 18 months on behalf of federal immigration agencies, according to data compiled by grassroots coalition Get The Flock Out. Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante says measures the department implemented in November are designed to prevent this from happening in the future. Max Chun has details.
DAILY DIGEST
Much news to warm you up this Thursday morning, and we’re going to keep on cooking. Among what’s still on the way from Lookout is Weekender, with Wallace Baine’s recommendations for things to do around Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment plus other news and notes – one of the many free newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here. Take our award-winning local coverage, with breaking news notifications, games and more, along on your smartphone by downloading the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and upgrade your daily social media diet by following Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and/or Bluesky.
Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.
Thanks for reading – I’ll catch you on the flip side.
Will McCahill