New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Government
Nursing homes account for 72% of deaths in Santa Cruz County: Data reveals surprising trends
LOOKOUT EXCLUSIVE: A breakdown of the COVID-19 fatalities in Santa Cruz County shows nursing homes accounting for far more deaths than in other parts of the state. “The virus does not give you a break,” one health official says.
Stay-home order triggered for Santa Cruz County, Bay Area region after ICU capacity drops to 12.9%
Residents now have about 36 hours to make preparations; the new restrictions will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. That puts Friday, Jan. 8, as the re-evaluation date for any reopening of closed services.
WATCH: 21 for ’21 event delves into where we’re headed as new year approaches
“We’ve got more crises to come, and we need to build our communities in ways that absorb the shocks — and maybe even benefit from those disruptions,” said County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty, one of the panelists.
Santa Cruz’s mission bell removal raises an inevitable question: What’s next?
THE HERE & NOW: Where does the line get drawn for what needs to change? Mission bells could lead to Mission Street. And from there you start getting into deeper dark places within California’s history.
Watsonville citizens clear on favorite downtown features. Could six new neighborhoods be in their future?
A survey asking Watsonville residents what they want out of their downtown area came back with the farmers’ market and city plaza rising above other favorites. Now, a planning firm will take that feedback and brainstorm.
‘Such a burnout’: As workloads rise, nurses hope new testing guidelines, vaccines, bring relief
As COVID-19 surges, nurses in Santa Cruz County are being stretched to their limits. And getting tested for many has been just as challenging as it has for the general public. Will new testing protocol and a vaccine lesson the burden?
Monarch population continues to plummet, but feds still opt to delay endangered species protection
The number of monarchs observed on the West Coast has plummeted from millions in the 1980s to fewer than 10,000 this year. Only 500 butterflies were observed in Natural Bridges during this year’s Thanksgiving count.
County ICU bed capacity shrinks, but hospitals are ready to deploy surge beds
Santa Cruz County has just a handful of available ICU beds remaining. Local hospitals are planning to expand their capacity, but it won’t be easy.
Santa Cruz County homeless deaths hit all-time high in 2020
The number of deaths in the county also went up by about 13% compared to last year, but homeless people died at more than five times the rate of the rest of the county population.

