Morning Lookout: Members of Ben Lomond militia plead guilty, PG&E to answer questions

By Tulsi Kamath

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Good Morning! It’s Thursday, September 23 and it will be mostly sunny with a high of 79.

Four members of the Ben Lomond militia group “Grizzly Scouts” admitted to obstructing justice for their part in the 2020 mountain gunbattle that killed a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s sergeant and a federal officer in Oakland.

If you’ve suffered through unexplained and frequent power outages over the last two months, this one’s for you: later today, PG&E will be hosting two virtual community meetings to answer questions and we have everything you need to know here.

There’s a lot more to cover, so let’s dive in:

Four members of Ben Lomond militia group plead guilty to obstruction in 2020 mountain shootout

Four members of the Ben Lomond militia group “Grizzly Scouts” — connected to the Boogaloo Bois movement — have pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after trying to destroy evidence in the 2020 mountain shootout that killed Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and injured others. One man also pleaded guilty to enticing a 15-year-old into producing child pornography. Read more about what they admitted in their plea agreements here.

REVISIT JAILHOUSE INTERVIEW: ‘I felt hate more than anything’: How active-duty airman Steven Carrillo tried to start a civil war (ProPublica)

Under pressure from supervisors & frustrated customers, PG&E meetings will address frequent, unplanned outages

PG&E power lines are photographed in Fremont

HAPPENING TODAY: In the past two months, Pacific Gas & Electric customers throughout Santa Cruz County have been dealing with long, unexpected power outages — and the county and the utility are hosting two virtual community meetings today to provide answers to increasingly agitated customers. Our Grace Stetson and Max Chun have what residents of Corralitos, Watsonville and the San Lorenzo Valley should know in advance.

Affordability and Housing

Rose was displaced by the CZU fire last summer.

‘Not my preferred way of living’: Where overnight RVs can be, and when, remains in city-discussion gridlock: With Delaware Avenue and Natural Bridges Drive the epicenter of vehicle abatement in Santa Cruz, local officials are working on an ordinance that would create a permitting process for those who want to sleep overnight in their oversized vehicles. Read more from our Hanna Merzbach here.

This three-bedroom home at 300 Wooded Way in Boulder Creek, built in 1898, is listed for $799,900.

COLUMN — Why red-hot Boulder Creek & the 95006 are bucking expectations: Tech influx began with social, political unrest: Looking for refuge in the redwoods, many “people in Silicon Valley wanted to get out of the cities. I’ve been working here since 2004 … and this is the busiest year we’ve ever had,” said one local realtor. Lookout contributor Maria Gaura takes a closer look at how and why a fire-ravaged zone remains one of the county’s hottest real estate markets.

COLUMN — Don’t be fooled: California’s new housing laws make significant changes to zoning: California’s urban areas must become more densely populated to provide enough affordable housing for 40 million-plus people, Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton writes. Read his full take here.

COVID 2021

Vials of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 sit on a tray at a vaccination clinic.

Citing religious beliefs to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine could cost you your job: As more employers require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, more workers are finding religion. Or rather, “sincerely held religious beliefs” that, they say, prevent them from getting the shots. But what are the rules surrounding religious exemptions? How much leeway do employers have when faced with a torrent of exemption claims based on religion? Here are some answers.

San Francisco airport becomes first in U.S. to require COVID-19 vaccinations for workers: San Francisco International Airport is now requiring all workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the first airport in the U.S. to implement such health requirements. The requirement, effective Tuesday, obligates all tenants and contractors at the airport to ensure their on-site workers are vaccinated. Read more here.

Around the county...

Santa Cruz native Natalia Grossman makes Team USA history at IFSC Climbing World Championships (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Watsonville Wetlands Watch celebrates 30th anniversary (The Pajaronian)

Why Nerdville, Watsonville’s first comic-con event, matters (Good Times)

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Have a great day!

Tulsi Kamath
Lookout Santa Cruz