Good morning Santa Cruz! We're back again in your inbox, keeping you updated with what's happening in and around town. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Summer Sizzle West Cliff Outdoor Market and 3 more events.
Today's riddle: What did one strawberry say to the other strawberry? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. UC Santa Cruz Student Dies After Car Plunges Into Ocean (indiawest.com subscription) — A 19-year-old UC Santa Cruz student died after a car went off West Cliff Drive and into the ocean near Steamer Lane shortly after midnight on August 13. Rescuers pulled her from the submerged vehicle and rushed her to a local hospital, where she passed away, prompting condolences and support outreach from the university community.
2. Santa Cruz City Schools offers free meals for all students for the school year (ksbw.com) — Families in Santa Cruz City Schools can count on free breakfast and lunch for every student during the 2026–2027 school year, regardless of income. Funded through federal meal programs, the offer spans all district elementary, middle, and high schools, and completing the required application may also unlock discounts on internet, phone, and college-related fees.
3. Cyclists pass the lights of Santa Cruz Cinema on Pacific Avenue (santacruzsentinel.com) — Downtown Santa Cruz's Pacific Avenue movie house, now Santa Cruz Cinema, has a long local history stretching from its 1890s department-store roots through the Loma Prieta earthquake to a COVID-era closure and quick revival. The independently run theater, owned by the family behind Century Theatres, continues the city's long tradition of downtown moviegoing.
4. Caltrans continues to repave Highway 17 in Santa Cruz Mountains (santacruzsentinel.com) — If you regularly drive Highway 17 toward Santa Cruz, expect ongoing pavement work as Caltrans continues a major preservation project between Santa Clara County and the Santa Cruz County line. Crews are repairing failed pavement and improving ride quality in both directions, following similar work completed earlier this summer on the Santa Cruz County side.
5. UC Santa Cruz launches Center for Marine Genomics (santacruzsentinel.com) — UC Santa Cruz is launching a new Center for Marine Genomics that will unite the campus's strengths in genomics and marine science right here in Santa Cruz. Starting this fall, students and researchers will collaborate on cutting-edge techniques like genome assembly and environmental DNA to better understand how marine life responds to climate change and other ocean stresses.
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Ok Santa Cruz! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: If you weren't so sweet, we wouldn't be in this jam! (Thank you Patti F. for sending it in!)
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