Community Bridges is hosting its 18th annual Breastfeeding Walk & Health Fair at Laurel Park from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7
Health & Wellness
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
County mental health workers are in crisis – the county needs to hire more licensed clinicians, not unlicensed staff
Santa Cruz County’s planned expansion of after-hours mental health services is well-intentioned, but not tenable, writes county mental health liaison Keli Benko. The shift will increase the already heavy workload of crisis responders like her and will cause the quality of care to suffer, she writes. Rather than hiring licensed clinicians to meet an 140% increase in need, the county has contracted an outside agency to staff the program with non-licensed care providers. This leaves a handful of county staff to provide 24/7 overnight and weekend on-call coverage to supervise these workers.
Posted inLatest News
Bicycle and road safety focus of events in Santa Cruz and Watsonville
Events in Santa Cruz and Watsonville this week will highlight bicycle and road safety as students return to school this fall.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Santa Cruz County warns of uptick in supply of ‘tranq’ fentanyl mix
Santa Cruz County public health officials on Thursday issued a warning about an uptick of xylazine in the area’s illegal drug supply. When combined with fentanyl, the sedative typically used on animals as a pain reliever, is known as “tranq.”
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Study: California wildfire smoke contributed to 52,000 premature deaths over 10 years
When wildfires rage, the immediate threat is obvious – but smoke from the fires actually kills far more people than the flames. As fires become more frequent, that smoke is leading to a public health crisis. In a new study published in the journal Science Advances, we found that wildfire smoke likely contributed to more […]
Posted inBusiness & Technology, Capitola & Soquel, Health & Wellness, Latest News
More changes ahead at Capitola’s King’s Plaza Shopping Center with Rite Aid closure
The Rite Aid in King’s Plaza Shopping Center in Capitola is set to close as part of the company’s bankruptcy and restructuring proceedings. The second Rite Aid closure in Santa Cruz County this year comes amid ongoing struggles for retail pharmacies, including falling sales and high debt.
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Watsonville / Pajaro
Pajaro Valley Health Care District board to vote Wednesday on placing $105M bond measure on March ballot
The Pajaro Valley Health Care District board will vote Wednesday on whether to ask voters to support a $105 million bond measure to help Watsonville Community Hospital buy the hospital buildings and the land they sit on and to help fund health care services. The district currently pays about $4 million a year to lease […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘I’m doing it to know myself’: Neuroscientist Katherine MacLean on the promise of psychedelics
Neuroscientist Katherine MacLean is set to discuss In her new book, “Midnight Water: A Psychedelic Memoir,” at the Museum of Art & History at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. The memoir explores MacLean’s personal experiences with psychedelics and their potential for healing after his sister’s death. While MacLean sees psychedelics having medical and therapeutic applications, she emphasizes the importance of psychedelics’ potential for creativity and spirituality.
Posted inLatest News
Photo Essay: The Homeless Garden Project sows the seeds of change for Santa Cruz County’s unhoused residents
The Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz County has been providing employment, training, and a sense of purpose to unhoused individuals for more than three decades. Through organic gardens and retail stores, the project helps trainees gain skills and experience to transition out of homelessness. Kevin Painchaud spent time with the project’s staff and unhoused trainees for this photo essay.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Sacramento court halts local syringe distribution program run by harm reduction coalition
The Sacramento Superior Court’s decision is the latest development in a years-long legal battle between a Santa Cruz neighborhood group and the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County. The ruling is expected to reverberate beyond Santa Cruz County as other California communities face similar legal wrangling over private groups offering clean-needle programs.