Premium Archives

Today is your last day to register to vote by mail in California’s recall election

by Grace Stetson August 30, 2021

Sept. 14 is election day in the vote on whether to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, and while you can still register and vote in person through then, you have until only midnight tonight to sign up to vote by mail. Here’s how to register and cast your ballot in Santa Cruz County.

Brent Adams, of the Footbridge Services Center, talks about his program serving the homeless population at Camp Paradise.

Housing & Development

Homeless services nonprofit focuses on basic needs; “No one agency…can address the issue on its own”

by Hanna Merzbach August 29, 2021April 10, 2024

While most Santa Cruz County non-profits catering to the unsheltered population aim to create permanent housing solutions, Brent Adams’ Footbridge Services Center fulfills more immediate needs like shower and laundry services, storage facilities and more.

Education

Some UCSC students struggle to return to campus as affordable, available housing remains elusive

by Grace Stetson August 29, 2021December 17, 2023

With UCSC resuming classes for the 2021-2022 school year in a few weeks, many incoming and returning students are finding themselves at a loss for housing options. As one returning student shared, “I can’t focus on my job, I can’t sleep — this is completely awful.”

Resource center at the Corralitos Community Church.

Training program seeks to shrink number of ‘spontaneous volunteers’ during wildfires, disasters

by Liza Monroy / Contributor August 28, 2021December 15, 2023

During wildfires and disasters, well-meaning but untrained “spontaneous volunteers” emerge to defend lives and property but the lack of training can sometimes mean they are putting themselves and others in danger. It’s a controversial issue but a nonprofit group has a middle-ground solution.

A sign in South Lake Tahoe warns of very high fire danger

Environment

All-out fight to save South Lake Tahoe as Caldor fire forces evacuation warnings

by Lila Seidman and Hayley Smith August 27, 2021October 22, 2023

The Caldor fire has swelled past 143,000 acres and continues to burn toward South Lake Tahoe, where evacuation warnings have people on high alert. The blaze was only 12% contained as of Friday morning.

Politics & Policy

Gray Davis: California recalls should be reformed, no matter Newsom’s fate

by Emily Hoeven August 27, 2021

“Get rid of question No. 1 on the ballot, let everyone run in question No. 2 and make all the rules the same,” says Davis, who in 2003 became the only California governor to be recalled. “Just have one election, whoever wins gets to fill out the governor’s term.”