Happy Holidays. Big News. And Our First 'Ask.'

Learn more about how officials describe the damage from ocean swells to the municipal wharf and harbor.

A daughter is working to recover her mother's memorial bench which was on collapsed wharf.

In their December 23 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors swore in new members Monica Martinez and Kim De Serpa. Read on to learn what they had to say.

Learn about the bill introduced by Rep. Jimmy Panetta which would initiate the process to designate the communities neighboring the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as a National Heritage Area, and what that would entail.

The Scotts Valley City Council has approved a resolution declaring a local emergency following a tornado that surprised the city during stormy weather on a Saturday afternoon earlier this month.

Another Watsonville resident has filed an appeal against the 34-unit homeless tiny village proposed for the parcel occupied by the Westview Presbyterian Church.

Two-way traffic is set to resume on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. Read on for more information about the 2-year effort to repair the storm-damaged road and beloved seaside walkway.

In their December 17 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution declaring the county a sanctuary for immigrants. Read on to learn what that actually entails.

In a December 18 statement, Watsonville City Manager Tamara Vides announced the appointment of 13 year city veteran Nick Calubaquib as the deputy city manager.

Lookout Local asked a meteorologist to learn why the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for San Francisco, where a tornado failed to appear, and not Scotts Valley, where a tornado touched down on December 14. Read on to learn the answer.

The December 17 meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors was the last for departing members Bruce McPherson and Zach Friend. Read on to learn more about their careers as local elected officials.

City officials estimate over $100,000 in damages from the December 14 tornado which touched down in Scotts Valley. Read on to learn more about next steps.

Plans for the proposed Clocktower Center in Santa Cruz have been updated and reduced in size. Read on to learn why critics say it still doesn't address concerns.

County Park Friends announced that the goal to raise $1 million for the Treasure Cove inclusive playground at Jade Street Park in Capitola has been met. Read on to learn more about the project.

A new California law will prohibit state-chartered banks from charging fees for withdrawals that are instantaneously declined.

The invasive South American housecat-sized semi-aquatic rodent is making the Bay Area a new home, and that's a problem. Read on to learn what wildlife officials are doing about it.

New operating rules for massive Delta systems will increase water deliveries to Southern California cities and some growers. Salmon numbers could drop, especially in dry years.

For California nurses seeking help with alcohol or drug abuse, the road to recovery through a program managed by their licensing board can be fraught, writes CalMatters health reporter Kristen Hwang.

Keith Poulsen's jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. A livestock veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin, Poulsen had seen sick cows before, with their noses dripping and udders slack.

Learn more about how a deal from 2022 to extend operations of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant and a recent California Public Utilities Commission decision are leading to higher electricity bills across the state.

As the first serious case of bird flu in a human is reported and more dairy herds across the state are infected, California Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency. Read on to learn what that entails.

All high school students are required to take civics, but a lack of money can limit opportunities. And in some communities, parent objections pressure teachers to avoid certain topics.

California doctors are asking the state to create a ‘safe harbor’ program for addiction recovery. They say the current system discourages doctors from participating because they regard it as punitive.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decree that by 2035 all new cars sold in California must be powered by batteries or other zero-emission systems has received a double dose of legal and political support.

Cal Fire is taking applications for Camp Cinder, a free four-day, three-night immersive firefighter camp for young women ages 15-17. The program, led by women firefighters and offered June 23-26 in Shasta and San Luis Obispo, will teach rope skills, water rescues, hose movement, leadership and more,

The US EPA granted California’s waiver, which the incoming Trump administration is likely to try to overturn in the courts. The state’s zero-emission vehicle mandates have been the driving force behind California’s progress in cleaning up dangerous air pollutants.

Child care centers throughout California struggled to find people with the right credentials to look after their babies, toddlers and preschoolers. At the same time, many people who wanted to become early childhood educators faced difficulties in earning the credentials.

Use this explainer by the National Science Foundation-sponsored National Center for Atmospheric Research to understand atmospheric rivers and how they'll change as the climate warms.

California recorded historically high numbers of deaths in county jails for the past six years. Now, counties expect to house more prisoners as Prop. 36 takes effect.

Gov. Newsom and legislative Democrats pushed through a law that bans employers from requiring workers to attend ‘captive audience meetings.’ It was the latest victory for the labor movement at the state Capitol.

There’s no law requiring California property owners to carry insurance, but the vast majority buy it to protect themselves from fire and other perils, or are required to do so by their mortgage lenders.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “Master Plan for Career Education” seeks to help the nearly 7 million adults in California who lack college degrees by giving them college credit for their work experience and by changing the requirements on some state jobs.