Westside / Downtown Neighborhood Newsletter for Friday, February 20

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Good morning! It’s February 20 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…

Cool with periods of sunshine in Westside / Downtown

Today will be cool with periods of sunshine. There is a 8% chance of rain. The high will be 55 with a low of 39. Partly sunny now, changing to intermittent clouds at 9 a.m.

Looking ahead: Expect rainy weather late Monday night through Tuesday evening

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Westside / Downtown news

Mayor Keeley praised Santa Cruz’s housing progress. A cold weather advisory warns of lows near 34°F. Weekend events: Clam Chowder Cook-Off, Black History Month films, and live music.

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What’s new around you

▼︎ police incidents   ▼︎ road incidents   ▼︎ events

Read on to see the details about each item…

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Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region

• One lane on North Highway 9 at Encinal Street is closed because of shoulder work. The closure will last until 3:01 p.m. on February 28.
   
• Both southbound lanes on Highway 9 at Graham Hill, near 10395 Soquel Dr in Aptos, are closed because of road and weather conditions. PG&E is directing one-way traffic in the northbound lane. The southbound lanes are expected to stay closed until the morning today.
   
• There is one-way traffic on South Highway 9 at Lorenzo Avenue in San Lorenzo Valley because of emergency work. This is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. on April 1.
   

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Community crime report

• A grand theft involving money, labor, or property was reported as a felony. The incident happened near the 100 Block of Coral St., Santa Cruz, at midnight on December 14. (source)
    
• A B-Cycle was stolen in a felony embezzlement case involving more than $950. The incident happened near the 400 Block of Beach St., Santa Cruz at 1 p.m. on February 16. (source)
   
• A person was arrested on outstanding warrants for possessing a controlled substance with previous offenses, including both felony and misdemeanor charges. The incident happened near the 800 Block of Ocean St., Santa Cruz at 2 a.m. on February 17. (source)
     
• A man was arrested for hitting someone and being drunk and disorderly. The incident happened near the 400 Block of Beach St., Santa Cruz at 11 p.m. on December 12. (source)
     
• A hit and run incident involving property damage was reported online near the 800 Block of Cedar Street, Santa Cruz at midnight on December 13. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for having drugs and outstanding warrants. The incident happened near the 100 Block of S River St., Santa Cruz, at 4 p.m. on February 17. (source)
   
• A person was cited and released for having drug paraphernalia and violating probation. The incident happened near the 600 Block of River St., Santa Cruz at midnight on February 18. (source)
    
• A person was cited and released for having drugs and drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors. The incident happened near the 100 Block of S River St., Santa Cruz, at noon on February 18. (source)
    
• A person was cited for stealing city property, which is considered a petty theft misdemeanor. The incident happened near the 200 Block of Water St., Santa Cruz, at 1 a.m. on February 18. (source)
   
• A person stole books from a bookshop. This happened near the 1500 Block of Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, at 10 a.m. on February 18. (source)
   
• Two people were cited and released for trying to avoid paying for services at a local inn, which is a misdemeanor involving less than $950. The incident happened near the 300 Block of Ocean St., Santa Cruz at 11 a.m. on February 18. (source)
    

Note on today’s report: Some of the incidents listed are not recent. This can happen for a couple of reasons: Delays in agency reporting — sometimes officials don’t file reports right away, or agencies release batches of reports weeks later. Delays in public complaints — people may not notice or decide to contact police until some time after an incident. Please contact the responsible law-enforcement agency or your local elected officials if you have concerns about their delay in releasing information.

Disclosure: Traffic incidents and police incidents are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.