A small but growing number of Santa Cruz County restaurants and grocery stores are using the Too Good To Go app to sell leftover food in discounted “surprise bags,” helping reduce waste while recouping some costs. Customers trade choice for steep savings, and businesses say the program not only keeps food out of landfills but can also bring in new patrons.
Today’s Top Story
A significant story with interest across the county
Posted inEducation
Out of fear, fewer undocumented Cabrillo students seeking services more than a year into Trump immigration crackdown
More than a year into President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, undocumented students at Cabrillo College are increasingly avoiding campus services and financial aid programs due to fear of exposing personal information. College staff report declining participation and heightened anxiety among students, even as the school expands resources to reassure and support them.
Posted inEducation
Renaming Watsonville’s Cesar Chavez Middle School could cost $100,000, district says
Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials say it will cost more than $100,000 to rename Cesar E. Chavez Middle School as they move forward with the process following recent sex abuse allegations against the late civil rights leader. Trustees voiced support for the change but raised concerns about the expense, the risks of naming schools after individuals and the possibility of spending funds on a campus that could later face closure.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
District 4 county supervisor candidates make case to voters during Wednesday night forum
In a Lookout election forum Wednesday, candidates for the District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor seat — incumbent Felipe Hernandez and challengers Tony Nuñez and Elias Gonzales — shared their visions to improve South County and their views on hot-button issues.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Dominican Hospital to share a new president with Redwood City’s Sequoia Hospital
Dominican Hospital will begin sharing a president with Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City next week. The leadership change follows the retirement of longtime president Dr. Nanette Mickiewicz and comes as the hospital faces ongoing challenges with staffing, retention and capacity, concerns nurses hope new CEO Christine McSweeney will address.
Posted inEducation
The Santa Cruz County school districts that approved layoffs this year
Amid declining enrollment and shrinking state and federal funding, several Santa Cruz County school districts approved significant layoffs this year to maintain long-term financial stability. Districts including Pajaro Valley Unified, Soquel Union Elementary, Live Oak, Scotts Valley Unified and Santa Cruz City Schools proposed cuts affecting dozens of positions, though officials say some reductions could be avoided through attrition or other savings measures.
Posted inFood & Drink
Alley Oop opens in downtown Santa Cruz with vintage cocktails and speakeasy style
A new downtown Santa Cruz cocktail lounge, Alley Oop, has transformed the former Poet & Patriot pub into a polished, speakeasy-style bar with a focus on vintage drinks and small plates.
Posted inFood & Drink
Village Foods meal delivery expands toward Live Oak storefront after rapid rise
A Santa Cruz mom launched Village Foods to help people solve the nightly dinner dilemma, and the meal delivery service has quickly taken off. Less than a year in, the business is expanding into its own Live Oak storefront as founder Kelly Langstaff builds on both a national trend and a deeply personal mission to support busy families like her own.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz Mountains residents screamed, sheltered and froze when 4.6 magnitude earthquake jolted them awake
A 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck near Boulder Creek early Thursday morning, jolting residents across Santa Cruz County awake and marking the region’s strongest temblor in more than three decades, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Despite widespread reports of shaking, noise and minor household damage, officials said there were no injuries or structural damage, as residents described fear and renewed urgency around earthquake preparedness.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Battery storage developer officially exploring path to state approval for Watsonville facility, a move that could bypass local laws
New Leaf Energy, the developer behind a proposed battery storage facility near Watsonville, confirmed to Lookout that it is officially exploring a path to approval from the California Energy Commission as opposed to seeking approval from Santa Cruz County.