Good morning! It’s Aug. 31 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…
Low clouds, then some sun in Westside / Downtown
Today will see low clouds breaking for some sun and cool; large waves and rough surf could affect the area. The high will be 71, with a low of 54.
Westside / Downtown news
Santa Cruz schools urge parents to share kids’ health insurance to maintain free mental health services.
What families need to know about the free mental health services provided by Santa Cruz County public schools
By Hillary Ojeda
Aug 31, 2026
What’s new around you
▼︎ police incidents ▼︎ events
Read on to see the details about each item…
Things to do in Westside / Downtown
Hosted Board Game Night at The Cruz Room
The Game Night Collective is a Santa Cruz-based board game community …
At The Cruz Room on Aug. 31
Repeats 100 more times until July 31
Community crime report
- Police investigated a case of vandalism and assault with a deadly weapon (not a gun). The incident happened near San Lorenzo Boulevard and Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, at 9 p.m. on Aug. 25. (source)
- A person was arrested for having illegal drug items, possessing a narcotic drug, asking someone to commit a lewd act, and violating probation. The incident happened near the 100 block of Beach Street, Santa Cruz, at 6 p.m. on Aug. 26. (source)
- A person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and having a blood alcohol level over 0.08%. Their vehicle was stored because of the arrest, and they were taken to a recovery center for intoxication. The incident happened near Ocean Street and Kennan Street, Santa Cruz, at midnight on Aug. 27. (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.