What’s up, Lookout friends? It’s Wednesday, Sept. 2, and the forecast is for decreasing clouds around Santa Cruz County as the day goes on, with temperatures ranging from upper 60s by the bay to around 80 in the mountains.
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Watsonville Community Hospital has used all $10.6 million it received from the state this summer to pay down outstanding debts and cover its ongoing operating shortfall, Tania Ortiz reports. The money was meant to be spent immediately, according to the hospital’s chief financial officer, as part of legislation aimed at helping four financially distressed California facilities.
Jessica M. Pasko returns with her weekly look at local business, leading off with top executives are leaving Watsonville-based berry giant Driscoll’s as the company faces growing criticism over pesticides and its environmental impact, including recently filed lawsuits.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ami Chen Mills pushes back against the assertion by her opponent, Ryan Coonerty, that she has taken a stance “too late” on the project proposed at Seabright and Soquel avenues. She presents the politics behind the Seabright project, criticizes Coonerty’s record on development and local control and explains her own evolving approach to the housing crisis.
Let’s scope out the hump-day headlines.
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Watsonville Community Hospital received $10.6 million in state aid in June. Where did it go?
Watsonville Community Hospital leadership says it has used up the entirety of a $10.6 million grant for the facility. The hospital’s chief financial officer tells Lookout that the money was meant to be spent quickly. Here’s more from Tania Ortiz.
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This week in Santa Cruz County business: Leadership shakeup at Driscoll’s; Watsonville’s new distillery takes inspiration from the sea
In her weekly look at local business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on high-level departures at Watsonville-based berry giant Driscoll’s, a new distillery in South County and plenty of names, numbers and dates to know. Read it all here.
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Let’s get out there and make it a great Wednesday – thanks for reading!
Will McCahill