Hello! Thursday, Dec. 4, has arrived in Santa Cruz County, bringing mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s – with king tides and high surf along our coastline.
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The self-driving Waymo cars that are ubiquitous in San Francisco and Los Angeles are expanding their range, with a small piece of Santa Cruz County part of the area that’s recently gotten state approval, Max Chun reports. But it’ll be some time before county residents will be pulling up alongside any.
In the latest chapter of the story surrounding Danielle Staley, the Utah woman reported missing in Santa Cruz County and then found safe, Staley’s boyfriend is now wanted by police after he missed a hearing Wednesday, Hillary Ojeda reports. Alex Nunez didn’t appear at the Santa Cruz County courthouse for arraignment on domestic violence charges, and an arrest warrant has been issued.
The outreach manager of Santa Cruz’s Diversity Center is facing felony charges in San Luis Obispo County, Max Chun reports, where Dustin Colyer-Worth has been charged with four counts of grand theft by embezzlement. He was formerly executive director of the Gala Pride and Diversity Center in San Luis Obispo.
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, rail and trail are again the topic in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section. Trail advocate Jack Brown dismisses the “peace plan” proposal to build over the tracks, instead urging the community to get behind building the coastal trail now.
The day’s headlines also include another postponement in the murder trial of Leif Ames and a local teacher in the Rose Parade spotlight – let’s take a look.
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Waymo’s expansion includes a sliver of Santa Cruz County. What does that mean for local roads?
Waymo, a company operating self-driving cars, recently expanded its operations into more of the Bay Area, including an area of Lexington Hills that lies mostly in Santa Clara County but very slightly reaches into Santa Cruz County. However, don’t expect to see Waymos on local roads in the near future. Max Chun has details.
Arrest warrant issued for boyfriend of Utah woman who was found safe after going missing last month
The boyfriend of the Utah woman who went missing and was later found safe failed to appear for a hearing and is now wanted by police. Alex Nunez stands to forfeit the $25,000 bail he posted on charges related to Danielle Staley. Hillary Ojeda has the latest.
DAILY DIGEST
That should be plenty to keep you all busy for a bit, but rest assured, more is on the way from Lookout. Wallace Baine will be along presently with recommendations for things to do all over Santa Cruz County’s bustling arts & entertainment scene, and his Weekender is just one of the many free newsletters and breaking alerts you should sign up for here. Take us along for the ride on your smartphone by downloading the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and if social media is part of your online diet, follow Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky to get our award-winning mix of local news and views there.
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Have a great Thursday, and thanks for reading.
Will McCahill