Greetings and salutations, readers. It’s Wednesday, March 20, another nice, sunny day around Santa Cruz County before our weather pattern starts to shift to rain inbound for Friday.
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Christopher Neely leads us off from Watsonville, where the city council is again embarking on the search for a new city manager after the job’s current holder, Rene Mendez, was approved to take the same position in Salinas.
Max Chun reports from the second day of the trial of the man charged in the 2022 murder of Neoklis Koumides, with Tuesday testimony including one eyewitness account and a police investigator going through footage of defendant John Frederick Burke.
Tuesday also brought another update on the vote count from the March 5 primary election, and Lookout can now say that Measure N, the $116 million bond measure to boost Watsonville Community Hospital’s finances, will pass, and that Susie O’Hara has won the race for the District 5 seat on the Santa Cruz City Council.
The day’s headlines also include a pair of Wednesday staples in Jessica M. Pasko’s local business roundup and the latest from Lookout wine expert Laurie Love, which you’ll find on the other side of this snapshot from photojournalist Kevin Painchaud.
Photo of the day
On Tuesday, Lookout joined the Santa Cruz Warriors and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation for a volunteer cleanup of Main Beach as part of the Sea Dubs’ March Helping Hands event. After an inspiring and educational talk from foundation board member Hillary Bryant, Warriors coach Nick Kerr and others, staff and community members combed the beach to pick up trash and other debris, with a special emphasis on small plastic items like straws and bags, which pose a significant threat to marine animals.
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Less than two years into the job, Watsonville’s city manager resigns to lead Salinas
Watsonville will be on the hunt for a city manager for the second time in two years after Rene Mendez was hired to take over as Salinas’ top bureaucrat. Details here from Christopher Neely.
On the Campaign Trail: Watsonville hospital bond, O’Hara win; Lookout calls final races with latest votes counted
With just about 250 votes left to count, Lookout can say that Susie O’Hara will represent District 5 on the Santa Cruz City Council and that Watsonville Community Hospital’s $116 million bond has passed. Get caught up on all the results here.
DAILY DIGEST
Much to digest from Lookout as usual, and we’ve got plenty more coming – so if keeping up on Santa Cruz County goings-on is your jam (and I know it is), you’ll want to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads. We also offer breaking news alerts via email and text, plus a host of other newsletters, so click on over here to take advantage.
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Now go forth and make the most of your Wednesday.
Will McCahill