Westside / Downtown Neighborhood Newsletter for Wednesday, May 21

Good morning! It’s May 21 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…

Sunny and pleasant in Westside / Downtown

Today will be pleasant with plenty of sunshine. The high will be 73 with a low of 48. Mostly sunny now, changing to sunny at 2 p.m.

Looking ahead: Cool from Friday to Saturday

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Westside / Downtown news

Driscoll’s appeals a strawberry patent lawsuit dismissal; Joby Aviation progresses in electric air taxi testing; Santa Cruz Warriors’ new arena plans receive mixed reactions, with some residents praising its modern design.

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What’s new around you

▼︎ police incidents   ▼︎ food inspections   ▼︎ events

Read on to see the details about each item…

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Community crime report

• A male was cited and released for having controlled substances and unlawful paraphernalia, which is a misdemeanor. This happened near the 800 block of Ocean St., Santa Cruz, at 7 p.m. on May 13. (source)
   
• Gang-related graffiti was found and documented as vandalism, classified as a felony. This happened near the 600 block of Almar Avenue in Santa Cruz at 7 a.m. on May 13. (source)
   
• An individual was arrested for battery and refusing to leave a property. This incident occurred near the 800 block of Ocean St. in Santa Cruz at 4 p.m. on May 11. (source)
   
• A petty theft incident, classified as a misdemeanor, was reported online. It happened near the 300 block of Broadway in Santa Cruz at midnight on April 24. (source)
   
• A burglary, classified as a felony, was reported online. It happened near the 100 block of Felix St. in Santa Cruz at midnight on April 23. (source)
   
• A petty theft incident was reported online. It happened near the 1200 block of Shaffer Rd in Santa Cruz at midnight on April 23. (source)
   
• A petty theft was reported online. It happened near the 200 block of Mission St. in Santa Cruz at midnight on April 22. (source)
   
• A petty theft was reported online as a misdemeanor near the 100 block of Grandview St., Santa Cruz. The incident occurred at midnight on April 20. (source)
   
• A petty theft was reported online. It happened near the 100 block of Main St. in Santa Cruz at midnight on March 31. (source)
   

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Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region

• South Highway 1 in Capitola/Soquel is facing closures for roadway excavation. The closure will end at 6:30 a.m. on August 29.
   
• The northbound Highway 1 offramp at Soquel Drive in Capitola/Soquel was closed during the day on May 19 for construction. The work is part of a project to add auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder improvements on Highway 1 between the 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive interchanges, and to help build a new bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing at Chanticleer Avenue.
   

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Things to do in Westside / Downtown

Add an event to our calendar

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Restaurant inspections

County officials regularly inspect food facilities to ensure compliance with state laws. Here, Lookout Santa Cruz reports both those who have passed the inspections and those that the county deems to have a “major” issue. The county’s full ongoing report can be accessed here.

• Front & Cooper (Beer & Wine) at 725 Front St. Unit 5, Santa Cruz, passed a county health inspection on May 19 with no critical issues.
   
• The Kottage School (in Harvey West Park) at 325 Evergreen St., Santa Cruz, passed a county health inspection on May 19 with no critical issues.
   

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.