Santa Cruz County Monitor

Santa Cruz County agriculture faces mounting legal and economic strains.

• Driscoll’s lawsuits: Class-action claims lack of transparency on “forever...

A Santa Cruz Harbor office worker's letter highlights the severe congestion from the Murray Street Bridge closure, noting every route is impacted with...

• Beach access study: UC Santa Cruz research shows gender, race, wealth and geography limit coastal access despite state laws.
• Local business...

Public Safety Updates

• 🔥 Capitola Mall Stabbing Arrest: A 19-year-old Santa Cruz man was arrested in connection with the random stabbing death...

• Incident details: 73-year-old Rachell Summers was fatally stabbed Monday near the Capitola Mall food court exit in a random attack
• Suspect...

Santa Cruz Mountains fall under a heat advisory through 9 p.m. Tuesday with highs in the mid-90s to low 100s.

• Health risks rise for those without...

Farmblox's headquarters relocation to Santa Cruz brings its sensor-agnostic automation platform to the Watsonville-Salinas corridor, targeting...

The DMV has authorized Waymo's driverless fleet to operate 24/7 across Santa Cruz County at all legal speeds and in all weather conditions. This...

Southbound Highway 1 Bay Avenue off-ramp closes for four months starting August 2 at 10 p.m., forcing local commuters onto a Park Avenue-Soquel Drive...

• E-bike injuries in California jumped from 2 in 2018 to 1,506 in 2024, proving more severe than traditional bike crashes and hitting children...

Watsonville-based Driscoll's is battling lawsuits on three fronts that could reshape local agriculture standards and consumer trust.

• A former...

Santa Cruz's 2020 facial recognition ban faces fresh pressure as AI tools enable automated scanning on body cameras.

Key concerns:

• Neighboring...

Public Safety Funding

• 🔥 Impaired Driving Grants: Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency received CHP grant funding from Proposition 64 for...

Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency secured CHP grant funding for impaired driving education and awareness of drug or alcohol risks behind the...

San Lorenzo Valley Water District is running Stuff the Bus from July 1 to August 1, collecting new backpacks and supplies for TK–12 students...

Bike Santa Cruz County's annual survey is surfacing across local roundups, spotlighting shared concerns over cycling barriers.

• Traffic stress...

Development Guidelines Input Opportunity

• ⚡ Santa Cruz Design Guidelines Meeting: The City of Santa Cruz is holding a community meeting on July...

AB 2748 would let new affordable housing follow 2022 EV charger rules instead of 2025 standards to trim costs.

• EV infrastructure is less than 1% of...

Santa Cruz residents can directly shape future multifamily building standards at a July 23 community meeting focused on walkable streets, landscaping, and public spaces. Feedback will guide local development projects for years ahead.

• Moms Holley Gilliland and Jess Florence started Scotts Valley Democracy Rising after federal immigration killings of two citizens, opting for local...