Santa Cruz Local

Santa Cruz Local has interviewed and surveyed about 50 Scotts Valley residents in recent months to hear their priorities for the Scotts Valley City Council race. Today, we press the candidates — John Lewis, Donna Lind, Jack Dilles and Randy Johnson — on the concerns of residents. Listen to the candidates’ views on housing, supporting local business, stabilizing the city budget, school funding and policing. Read the transcript: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/09/29/podcast-vote-nov-3-scotts-valley-city-council/ Visit Santa Cruz Local’s elections webpage: https://santacruzlocal.org/elections/ Register for Santa Cruz Local’s upcoming candidate forums: https://santacruzlocal.org/events/ Read more about Scotts Valley’s recent police reforms, including data on vehicle stops: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/09/17/scotts-valley-police-offer-reforms-vehicle-stop-data/ Support Santa Cruz Local’s journalism with a membership: https://santacruzlocal.org/membership/ Subscribe to Santa Cruz Local’s free email newsletter:

We hear from Santa Cruz County Supervisor Bruce McPherson with an update on the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. McPherson’s district covers San Lorenzo Valley, which has been hard hit by the fire. McPherson shares an update on the fire response. He also describes his tour Monday of San Lorenzo Valley and what damage he saw. Read more stories on the wildfire: https://santacruzlocal.org/ Find resources, shelter, and how to help: https://santacruzlocal.org/wildfire/ Episode transcript: https://santacruzlocal.org/ Support Santa Cruz Local with a membership: https://santacruzlocal.org/membership/ Sign up for Santa Cruz Local’s free email newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/SCLsignup

COVID-19 shutdowns have hurt many locals on the brink of poverty because of the county’s high cost of living. About 40% of Santa Cruz County residents have received some food assistance since the COVID-19 shelter orders began in March, according to Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County staff. We hear from four people on the margins, from San Lorenzo Valley to Watsonville. We hear how COVID shutdowns have changed their lives and what solutions they’d like to see. Join Santa Cruz Local's email newsletter: mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/forward Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Episode transcript: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/07/31/how-has-covid-19-hurt-santa-cruz-countys-most-vulnerable/

Residents’ recent calls to reduce police presence and funding in Santa Cruz County come at the same time police say they are overburdened with calls for mental health care and homelessness. We explore the aftermath of two recent, fatal police shootings in our county that involved mental health — and how harm could be avoided. Looking toward solutions, we examine a program in Oregon that dispatches mental health care workers to crises without police. We talk to a Santa Cruz County 911 dispatcher and law enforcement leaders about the advantages and disadvantages of crisis response without police. Join Santa Cruz Local's email newsletter: mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/forward Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Episode transcript: www.santacruzlocal.org

Santa Cruz County on Monday recorded its largest single-day increase of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Local health leaders say the uptick is worrisome but expected, as businesses reopen. We hear advice from infectious disease expert and UC Santa Cruz professor Marm Kilpatrick on small ways people can be safer as they venture out. And we share what we know so far about the recent uptick, how the virus moves, and the county’s shortcomings with contact tracing. Join Santa Cruz Local's email newsletter: mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/forward Apply for Santa Cruz Local's Business Advisory Circle: santacruzlocal.org/apply-advisory/ Take our voter survey: www.santacruzlocal.org/votersurvey Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Episode transcript: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/06/26/podcast-ep-80-how-to-be-social-but-safer-during-the-pandemic/

A big decision is on tap Tuesday for the Santa Cruz City Council: Should the downtown library be renovated, or should a new, larger library with a parking garage and at least 50 affordable housing units be built on nearby city land? Santa Cruz Local talks to library and city leaders, activists and architects about the $27 million question.  Join Santa Cruz Local's email newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/forward Apply for Santa Cruz Local's Business Advisory Circle: https://santacruzlocal.org/apply-advisory/ Take our voter survey: https://www.santacruzlocal.org/votersurvey Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: http://www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Episode transcript (members only): www.santacruzlocal.org

Santa Cruz Local's Stephen Baxter and Kara Meyberg Guzman start their reporting for the upcoming Nov. 3 elections by listening to residents and watching city council meetings. We see the biggest local races as the city councils for Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Capitola and the District 1 supervisor runoff. As we kick off a county-wide listening tour, we share what we heard at our first stop: the Nueva Vista Community Resources food bank in the Lower Ocean neighborhood of Santa Cruz. Take our voter survey: www.santacruzlocal.org/votersurvey Read the transcript: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/06/11/vote-nov-3-part-1-start-by-listening/ Get Santa Cruz Local's free email newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/forward Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership

Parents and child care providers worry about the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Santa Cruz Local's Jerimiah Oetting answers your questions about child care rules in Santa Cruz County during the coronavirus emergency: How can we expect young children in daycare to socially distance? What is the county doing to ensure these facilities are safe? This is the fifth installment of "Santa Cruz Local Answers," where Jerimiah tackles your coronavirus-related questions. Submit your questions: www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus Read the transcript: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/06/07/tough-decisions-child-care-during-a-pandemic/ Get Santa Cruz Local's free email newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/forward Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership

Santa Cruz Local's Jerimiah Oetting answers your questions about antibody testing: What is it? Is it available in Santa Cruz County? How reliable are the tests? And is the county pursuing antibody testing? This is the fourth installment of 'Santa Cruz Local Answers,' where Jerimiah tackles your coronavirus-related questions. Submit your questions to www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus. Or email a question to answers@santacruzlocal.org. Get Santa Cruz Local's free email newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/coronavirus Support local journalism with a membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Read the transcript to this episode: www.santacruzlocal.org

Santa Cruz Local's Jerimiah Oetting answers your questions about Project Roomkey, the state effort to provide hotel rooms to vulnerable parts of the homeless population. Where is Santa Cruz County at with the project? How much money did the state provide? How many rooms are there, and who qualifies? Jerimiah talks to a Project Roomkey resident, county officials and homeless service providers. This is the third installment of "Santa Cruz Local Answers," where Jerimiah tackles your coronavirus-related questions. Submit your questions: www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus or email answers@santacruzlocal.org. Get Santa Cruz Local's free email newsletter: mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/coronavirus Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Read the transcript to this episode: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/05/07/whats-the-status-of-project-roomkey/

Santa Cruz County’s health officer limited beach hours and hotel visitors in her latest revision to the COVID-19 shelter order. How deep are the county’s economic problems, with the prospect of far fewer tourists? How do shelter orders impact a county where the largest share of jobs are in leisure and hospitality? We hear from California economist Chris Thornberg and Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce CEO Casey Beyer.

Dr. Catherine Sonquist Forest answers frequently-asked questions on COVID-19. How long do we have to wait for a vaccine and treatment? Can I get an antibody test and what does that mean? Can people without COVID symptoms spread the disease? Does social distancing and wearing masks work? Sonquist Forest is a Santa Cruz County resident and a medical professor at Natividad Hospital in Salinas. Read Santa Cruz Local's story on new COVID rules, effective late Friday night: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/04/30/santa-cruz-county-covid-progress-prompts-new-rules/ Send us your COVID questions: Email answers@santacruzlocal.org or take our survey www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus Get our free email newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/coronavirus Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Read the transcript to this episode: www.santacruzlocal.org

Santa Cruz Local's Jerimiah Oetting answers a listener's question on what UC Santa Cruz is doing to help with COVID testing. This is the second installment of 'Santa Cruz Local Answers,' where Jerimiah tackles your coronavirus-related questions. Submit your questions to www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus , by email or voice memo to answers@santacruzlocal.org, or by voice mail to 831-222-0460. Read the transcript to this episode: www.santacruzlocal.org Subscribe to Santa Cruz Local’s free newsletter: mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/forward Yes, I support local journalism! Count me in as a Santa Cruz Local member: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership

Santa Cruz Local hosted its first town hall meeting Friday, April 17 on Zoom. Our guests: Dr. Larry DeGhetaldi, Sutter Health Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz division president, and Dr. David Ghilarducci, Santa Cruz County’s deputy health officer. Some takeaways: Santa Cruz County can maybe expand to 60 intensive care beds, but models predict 100 will be needed at a peak in May or June. The plan is to transport patients to hospitals out of county. Dr. Ghilarducci said the shelter-in-place orders are a blunt but effective tool. He expects the economic shutdown to last until the county has broad, widespread testing. Meanwhile, the local hospital system has lost most of its revenue since hospitals have cut elective surgeries. Some front-line workers have seen cuts in pay. Listen to the full town hall call, where Santa Cruz Local co-hosts Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter ask your contributed questions. Transcript: https://santacruzlocal.org/2020/04/19/santa-cruz-local-town-hall-medical-leaders-ta

Details emerged this week from California and Santa Cruz County leaders on what it will take to lift the shelter orders. The county still lacks about 50 ventilators it needs for a potential peak of 100 severe COVID-19 cases, county health leaders said. That peak could come as late as June. Santa Cruz summer traditions remain up in the air, including the Wharf to Wharf footrace, Junior Lifeguards and visits to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Read the transcript to Thursday's news conference: www.santacruzlocal.org Attend the Santa Cruz Local Town Hall 12:30 p.m. Friday April 17: https://santacruzlocal.org/event/santa-cruz-local-town-hall/ Support local journalism with a Santa Cruz Local membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Sign up for Santa Cruz Local's free email newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/coronavirus

Santa Cruz Local is seeing its fastest growth since its launch in August. Co-founders Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter take you behind the scenes. We share where we're heading with the company. One of the biggest things that sets Santa Cruz Local apart is our commitment to community listening. We discuss our business goal for April ㅡ reaching 600 active members ㅡ and how that sets us up to better listen. Become a Santa Cruz Local member: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Upgrade your membership tier: www.santacruzlocal.org/account Attend Friday's Santa Cruz Local Town Hall: www.santacruzlocal.org/events

At a news conference Thursday, Santa Cruz County health officials said they were encouraged by the relatively low numbers of COVID hospitalizations in our county. However, the county still only has a maximum intensive care unit capacity of 50 beds. Dr. Gail Newel said she plans to extend her shelter-in-place order past May 3. Santa Cruz Local co-hosts Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter explain their key takeaways from the conference. And they ask the health officials your questions. Transcript: www.santacruzlocal.org Submit your questions. We'll ask them at the next health department news conference. www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus

We share tape from a special Santa Cruz City Council meeting that took place Tuesday. Mayor Justin Cummings spoke about coming together after the March 3 election. New city council members Katherine Beiers and Renee Golder also gave statements after they were sworn in through a video conference call.

Santa Cruz Local's Jerimiah Oetting answers your questions on coronavirus testing: Who gets tested? What is the process? How long does it take? Why is testing limited in Santa Cruz County and when will that change? Jerimiah talked to a medical leader, a scientist and others to get some answers. This is the first installment of 'Santa Cruz Local Answers,' where Jerimiah tackles your coronavirus-related questions. Submit your questions to www.santacruzlocal.org/coronavirus . Read the transcript to this episode: www.santacruzlocal.org

Santa Cruz County public schools are shut down through the end of the academic year, to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Families, teachers and school administrators have been forced to adapt quickly. Santa Cruz Local co-hosts Stephen Baxter and Kara Meyberg Guzman focus on two questions: What’s working for students and parents with distance learning? And what can we do to help kids get comfortable with the new normal? Transcript: www.santacruzlocal.org Sign up for our free email newsletter: mailchi.mp/santacruzlocal/coronavirus Support our journalism with a membership: www.santacruzlocal.org/membership Donate to the Live Oak Education Foundation for Chromebooks for Live Oak students: http://www.liveoakedfoundation.org/