Santa Cruz Local

Santa Cruz Local Santa Cruz Local is a local news organization in Santa Cruz, Calif. We produce fair and accurate journalism that holds power to account.

We value integrity, transparency, public trust, and quality over quantity. We aim for truth, depth, context, and analysis, not virality, online engagement and speed.

11/25/2025

Where to eat out under $10?! Comment or DM your ideas

We’re taking a look back at the “American Agitators” documentary screening event at Cabrillo College on Nov. 5. Santa Cr...
11/19/2025

We’re taking a look back at the “American Agitators” documentary screening event at Cabrillo College on Nov. 5.

Santa Cruz Local partnered with COPA (Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action), Cabrillo College Office of Equity and Department of Political Science, Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas (Huerta Center) at UCSC, Center for Labor and Community at UCSC, Institute for Social Transformation at UCSC and UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center to make this event happen.

Scroll through to see what we heard from students.

Video by Ken Smith
Photos by Kara Meyberg Guzman, Amaya Edwards

Pajaro Valley Unified School District admin are proposing to lay off more than 150 people including every mental health ...
11/12/2025

Pajaro Valley Unified School District admin are proposing to lay off more than 150 people including every mental health counselor in the district. The proposal comes amid a spate of suicides and violence among high schoolers. At a meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday at 275 Main St., fourth floor, Watsonville, the boards of trustees will receive a report on the proposal. No vote is scheduled and district staff recommended there board vote on the proposal at its Dec. 11 meeting. Read more at santacruzlocal.org or at the link in bio.
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In an exclusive investigation by Local, Capitola Police confirmed they violated state law in sharing data with out-of-st...
11/10/2025

In an exclusive investigation by Local, Capitola Police confirmed they violated state law in sharing data with out-of-state agencies, but said it was unintentional. Now, the department is increasing its oversight into how other agencies use its data.⁠
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Read the full story at our website, link in bio. ⁠
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Reporting by Jesse Kathan ⁠
Photos by Amaya Edwards

In early election results Tuesday, Measure C — the property tax initiative that would fund affordable housing developmen...
11/05/2025

In early election results Tuesday, Measure C — the property tax initiative that would fund affordable housing development in the city of Santa Cruz — had a slim majority with 50.4% of the vote. The measure needs more than 50% to be adopted. Rival tax initiative Measure B, authored by opponents of Measure C, had 11.05% of the vote in early results. Go to santacruzlocal.org/election for the latest or click the link in bio to read more about early results.

11/03/2025

Guide to measures B and C in under 90 seconds! Are you a voter in the city of Santa Cruz and you still aren’t sure about measures B and C? Watch this simple explanation — and find the complete guide at santacruzlocal.org/election or at the link in bio.

Illustrations by
Photo of Mayor Keeley by
Video and words by

10/30/2025

🏵️💀🕯️ Se acerca el Día de los Mu***os y algunos campos en el Valle de Pajaro se han vestido de naranja, el color de esta flor que nos recuerda las antiguas tradiciones de México ahora replicadas por las comunidades mexicanas de la Costa Central de California. Fidel M. Soto, reportero de Noticias Watsonville, visitó el primer campo de cempasúchil de Royal Oaks.

¿En qué forma celebra usted el Día de los Mu***os y a quién recuerdas? Envíanos una foto o un video de tu altar.

10/29/2025

A year after Santa Cruz Local published an investigation revealing poor living conditions, lagging maintenance, rent hike and rats at the University of California-owned Hilltop apartments in Santa Cruz, 19 current and former tenants have filed a lawsuit.

The tenants are suing over alleged harassment, fraud and habitability issues. An LLC owned and operated by the UC and multinational property management company Greystar are named as defendants. The UC purchased the property as an investment in 2021 and shortly after raised rent on dozens of units, displacing many tenants.

UC Santa Cruz has distanced itself from Hilltop and its problems, but its leaders also described advising the UC on how to market the apartments to its students, some of whom are now plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

A UC spokesman said the university takes all legal complaints seriously, and representatives of Greystar did not return a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Read the whole story and prior investigations at santacruzlocal.org and at the link in bio.

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Santa Cruz County is preparing for a second “No Kings” rally on Saturday, Oct. 18 — a follow-up to the massive June 14 e...
10/17/2025

Santa Cruz County is preparing for a second “No Kings” rally on Saturday, Oct. 18 — a follow-up to the massive June 14 event that drew millions nationwide and thousands locally.

The rallies will take place in more than 100 cities, including Santa Cruz, Watsonville and Salinas, where local Indivisible chapters are leading the organizing charge.

To learn more about the rallies and how to get involved, read the full story at the link in our bio.

10/03/2025

¿Sientes orgullo de tus raíces hispanas o latinoamericanas? Noticias Watsonville salió a las calles de la ciudad para hablar con la gente sobre por qué sienten orgullo de ser hispanos o latinos en este país.

El Mes de la Herencia Hispana se celebra en Estados Unidos del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre. Mándanos un video de 5 a 30 segundos contándonos por qué. Si recibimos suficientes respuestas, haremos un segundo video para compartirlo por Instagram y en nuestra comunidad de WhatsApp. Para unirte con WhatsApp sigue el enlace en la biografía.

09/25/2025

🚦🚴🏽‍♂️🚶🏽‍♀️ Que las calles sean más seguras. Acompaña a nuestros periodistas Jesse Kathan y Fidel M. Soto en el Farmers Market de Watsonville este viernes para una tarde de arte y conversación. Queremos escuchar tus ideas sobre cómo hacer que las calles de Watsonville sean más seguras para peatones y ciclistas.⁠ Kathan publicó una serie de artículos sobre el tema y estará presente para responder preguntas y compartir sus descubrimientos.
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📍 Watsonville Placita⁠
📅 3-7 p.m. viernes 26 de septiembre⁠
🗞️ Lea los artículos al enlace en bio.

09/18/2025

Watsonville hunger strike Providence Martinez Alaniz ended up in the hospital Wednesday night after 17 days without food. Her and Omar Dieguez planned a 30-day hunger strike to protest the use of pesticides near schools in the Pajaro Valley. More at santacruzlocal.org

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