The encampment on the San Lorenzo River benchlands flooded Monday.

LOOKOUT PM: The cruel weather week ahead and what it means for the unhoused

By Mark Conley

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Happy Monday evening to you and yours.

Grab another cup of warm egg nog and settle in for the headlines of the day...

As more weather approaches, city, homelessness advocates seek solutions

The view of the heavily soaked benchlands in San Lorenzo Park.

‘We need more safe spaces’: With another stretch of inclement weather on the way, the city of Santa Cruz looks to mitigate the impact on the unhoused — particularly those rooted at the Benchlands encampment along the San Lorenzo River. More from Grace Stetson here.

Lifelong Watsonville resident — ‘Mr. Volunteer’ — won’t let retirement get in the way

Matt Ryan doing what he does, helping out.

Unsung Santa Cruz: Born and raised in South County, Matt Ryan spent more than 30 years as a firefighter and picked up other roles along the way, from helping power the local Toys for Tots program to community barbecues and giving fellow first responders a willing ear. More from Max Chun here.

➤ ICYMI: Her call to duty is stronger than most, but she is also only human (Grace Stetson)
➤ THE WHOLE SERIES: Stories on little-known folks who make this a better place to live

Vaccine update: Rates, where to find a COVID shot or test; wait, cost and turnaround times

Monday update: As of Monday, 70.5% of Santa Cruz County residents were fully vaccinated, a slight increase from the week prior. Though slightly higher than the statewide figure of 66.6%, Santa Cruz continues to have one of the lowest rates in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The details.

The latest Omicron news...

➤ Flying over the holidays? Here are tips for reducing your Omicron risk (LA Times)
➤ Omicron surge renews concerns over boosters and testing (LA Times)
➤ Vaccine promoters struggle to get people boosted in California’s fields (Kaiser Health News)
➤ California braces for Omicron wave amid grim forecasts, concerns for hospitals (LA Times)

6.2 quake strikes offshore near Eureka; no tsunami alert

A map shows a Dec. 20, 2021, earthquake off the coast of far Northern California

Did you feel it? The earthquake occurred offshore just after noon Monday in Northern California, about 30 miles from Fortuna and 37 miles from Eureka. It caused some minor damage and was felt in San Francisco, but forecasters said a tsunami wave was not expected. More from the LA Times here.

More from here & elsewhere

➤ Hiker slides 900 feet down perilous Calif. mountain ‘ice chute’ (SF Gate)
➤ Third graders allegedly traumatized after asked to reenact Holocaust (NBC News)
➤ Trump reveals he got COVID booster, Dallas crowd boos (SF Gate)
➤ Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai tells newspaper she never wrote of being assaulted (NBC News)
➤ Chris Noth’s tequila company loses $12 million acquisition deal after sexual assault allegations (NBC News)
➤ Trump’s Big Border Wall Is Now a Pile of Rusting Steel (The Atlantic)

That’s it for tonight, everyone. We will conquer holiday week Tuesday like champions tomorrow.

Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor