Morning Lookout: Vax or test, county tells employees; ignore second ballot question?
Good Morning! It’s Wednesday, August 25 and you can expect some patchy fog before 10 a.m. before a cloudy morning gradually clears up to a high of 70.
Yesterday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to require all county employees to get vaccinated or be tested weekly. A similar step taken by the city of San Francisco earlier this month was hotly rebuffed by hundreds of employees. What do you think of the order by local officials? Send us a note at news@lookoutlocal.com.
We’ll get to that news in a minute, but first:
‘A crazy way to run a state’: Democrats feel helpless on recall ballot’s second question
Many California Democrats are flailing for answers about how to approach the ballot’s second question: If the governor is recalled, who do you want to replace him? Newsom and the state Democratic Party are urging voters to leave the second question blank. That advice has landed well with some but left others confused and frustrated. Read more here.
New documentary explores fire impacts, recovery process at Big Basin
New documentary explores fire impacts, recovery process at Big Basin
Quick Take
The public can ‘visit’ Big Basin Redwoods State Park one year after the CZU Lightning Complex decimated the park through...
Board of Supervisors will require vaccination or weekly COVID testing for county employees
After an acrimonious public comment period, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to require county employees to be vaccinated or be tested weekly. Those who fail to do either may be fired. "... It appears that about 10% of our employees are not planning on getting vaccinated.” Read more from our Grace Stetson here.
A monumental wait: Four years after Obama’s stamp, opening of Cotoni-Coast Dairies remains in limbo
Parking and public safety issues threaten to further push back the opening of Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument. Can the latest bureaucratic hurdles be cleared in order to begin prepping trails and access points this fall in anticipation of a summer 2022 opening? Lookout contributor Hanna Merzbach has more.
Racist ‘Shaniqua’ postings show Salinas students stomping on Black doll
Salinas High School is under investigation after district officials were made aware of students posting racist, “disturbing images and videos” on social media. An Instagram account that has since been deactivated showcased pictures and videos of a Black baby doll, with some students stomping on it. Read more here.
From ‘The Voice’ to finding his own: Anthony Arya talks musical journey]
Santa Cruz folk-rocker Anthony Arya burst onto the scene in 2018 on NBC’s talent competition, and since then has put out a pair of albums and enrolled at Stanford. He talked to Lookout contributor Johanna Hickle about his influences, what goes into his songwriting and when we should expect his next record. Read the full story here.
How sports arenas became the poster child for California’s housing crisis
To help alleviate the state’s housing shortage, California recently began tracking publicly owned lots that could be turned into affordable homes. In its first year, the state housing agency has cited two major sports arenas — Angel Stadium in Anaheim and Pechanga Arena in San Diego — for cutting backroom development deals with developers that shortchanged the public on affordable units. The agency is now investigating Oakland Coliseum in Oakland. Read more here.
Around the county...
Santa Cruz police arrest suspected serial ATM burglar (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Police: Man, woman found dead in apparent murder-suicide in Capitola and Aptos (The Pajaronian)
Scotts Valley housing project advances (Scotts Valley Press Banner)
That’s it for today. If you’re enjoying our coverage, please tell your family and friends about our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center, where they can sign up for all the newsletters and alerts we offer. You can also keep tabs on everything we’re publishing through the day by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Have a great day!
Tulsi Kamath
Lookout Santa Cruz
Quick Take
Since May 21, the Midtown Fridays Block Party has brought fresh life into the parking lot located at 1111 Soquel Ave.,...
