Aloha, Lookout friends. It’s Friday, Oct. 23, and a nice little bit of rain, Santa Cruz County is back to sunny skies (give or take some patchy morning fog) today and through the weekend, with temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
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We’re less than two weeks out from Election Day, and if you’ve got questions about getting registered, when and where to vote and more on local races, Kate Lipsky has you covered with the answers. Her Q&A is part of Lookout’s continuing free Election 2026 coverage.
The Capitola City Council race has turned nasty down the final stretch over candidate TJ Welch’s past comments about the LGBTQ+ community, prompting accusations of bigotry from some residents and a defense of his record from others, Tania Ortiz reports. Welch disputes how his remarks have been characterized and says he has apologized to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
A new documentary follows the journey of a Watsonville native from picking strawberries with his farmworker parents to a career as a software engineer in Silicon Valley, Alia Yee Noll reports. Co-directed by documentarian Consuelo Alba-Speyer, “Las Mismas Manos,” or “With These Same Hands,” will have its West Coast premiere on Saturday in San Francisco.
Santa Cruz County received 104 ambulance calls Monday, well above its typical 70 to 80, Hillary Ojeda reports, prompting concerns after the system reached “Level 0,” when all ambulances are temporarily busy. Health Services Agency officials said the emergency medical services system is “designed to manage fluctuations in demand” and Level 0 periods are an “anticipated part” of their operations that they prepare for.
You’ll also find election coverage in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section today. The Lookout Editorial Board urges a yes vote on Measure D, aimed at giving county residents a voice in any plans for offshore oil and gas development and deep-sea mining. You can also hear from candidates in the two competitive races for the Watsonville City Council in their own words via short videos.
The jammed Friday headlines also include your cheat sheet to going out and eating well this weekend – away we go.
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Santa Cruz County Election 2026: Can you still register to vote? What to know before Nov. 3
With Election Day on Nov. 3 just around the corner, Santa Cruz County voters still have time to register, vote early or return their mail ballots. Here’s what to know about registration deadlines, voting locations and where to find Lookout’s coverage of local candidates and ballot measures. Kate Lipsky has a Q&A.
Watsonville native’s journey from farmworker family to tech career is focus of new documentary
In “Las Mismas Manos,” co-directed by Consuelo Alba-Speyer, Watsonville native Martín Vargas-Vega goes from picking strawberries with his farmworker parents to working as a software engineer. The documentary looks at the money and isolation problems he faced in Silicon Valley, and at the community that backed him along the way. Read more here from Alia Yee Noll.
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DAILY DIGEST
That’s what I know as Friday comes into focus, but there’s more on the way today and into the weekend from Lookout, so make sure you’re keeping in the know. Sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and for whichever of our many other newsletters tickle your fancy – all free. You can opt into breaking news notifications when you outfit that trusty smartphone with the Lookout Santa Cruz app, available for download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. And Lookout is on social media, too – follow along on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads for all of our award-winning Santa Cruz County coverage.
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Here’s to a smooth Friday and a safe, relaxing weekend beyond. Thank you for reading, today and all week.
Will McCahill