Good morning Santa Cruz! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Spanish Guitar Concert in Santa Cruz with Latin Grammy Winner Twanguero and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: Why did the fish blush ? 🤔 (Answer below!)
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1. Santa Cruz County immigration arrests steadily increase as nationwide arrests surge (santacruzlocal.org) — Immigration arrests in Santa Cruz County have risen modestly, with most recent cases involving people who have criminal convictions or pending charges, even as Northern California sees more arrests of people without records. Local public defenders and nonprofits in Santa Cruz and Watsonville are stepping up legal help, while officials track federal enforcement visits and warn residents about scams and the need for trusted immigration attorneys.
2. Santa Cruz County releases safety guide for residents ahead of El Niño (santacruzsentinel.com) — Santa Cruz County is urging residents to prepare now for a potentially very strong El Niño by updating emergency plans, signing up for CruzAware alerts, and checking evacuation routes and flood risks. Officials highlight lessons from the 2023 storms that damaged local wharves, West Cliff Drive, and neighborhoods, and point to a new online guide covering road safety, evacuations, cleanup, and documenting property damage for insurance.
3. Soquel Creek Water Reports Progress on Groundwater Supply (tpgonlinedaily.com) — Santa Cruz-area residents relying on Soquel Creek Water District's system are seeing real progress in restoring the overdrafted Mid-County groundwater basin, with Pure Water Soquel already injecting over 250 million gallons of purified water. The draft 2026 Community Water Plan details conservation gains, infrastructure upgrades in nearby Aptos and Capitola, and ongoing collaboration with the City of Santa Cruz to secure a sustainable water supply by 2040.
4. With less stability, less community, homeless displaced from Coral Street struggle to make it (santacruzlocal.org) — In Santa Cruz, people once camping around Coral Street's homeless services hub have been pushed out by new fencing and police sweeps, leaving many struggling to find safe places to sleep along the San Lorenzo River. As Housing Matters ends day services and prepares to open the Harvey West Studios supportive housing project, displaced residents like Kevin Kraft say they've lost stability, belongings, and a sense of community.
5. UC Santa Cruz college committed to 'social justice' requires freshmen to study 'Institutionalized Oppression' (campusreform.org) — UC Santa Cruz's Oakes College is requiring all incoming freshmen to take a writing and critical-thinking course centered on social justice, identity, and "institutionalized oppression." The class explores how race, gender, sexuality, class, and other identities intersect with power and social change, and is part of a broader trend of mandatory diversity-focused coursework at universities nationwide.
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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: It saw the ocean's bottom! (Thank you Gary M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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