Happy Monday, Team CALocal supporters! This week, I bring you evidence that WE are WINNING.
By WE, I mean those of us who believe in democracy, and are working together to find ways to protect and improve our means of self-governance. (I realize there’s also evidence this week that this system is breaking down—you can find that elsewhere in your news feed. True, sadly, but NOT the whole story.)
By WINNING—I point to three good and true things.
1: Big news (for big fans of self governance): The state of California is launching a “digital democracy” tool that will allow all of us to participate in policy-making in new ways. More on this below.
2: A report from the Nieman Lab about “emergent civic media systems,” showing that local outlets are proliferating nationwide that make it easier for citizens to find information about their communities.
3: News about “a policy agenda for local news that treats public-interest journalism and civic information like the public goods they are” by “infusing values of community, equity and sustainability into policy.”
Of course, as always, you can find cool stuff about a local nonprofit community group, and a recipe, just a scroll downscreen AND: Unless you follow every news source in your county (we do), you are likely to learn something interesting and maybe important in our News Digest, which is also just down there a little ways.
As construction begins this May on the new downtown Santa Cruz library main branch, the downtown farmers market will be setting up at a new temporary location while it searches for a permanent home. Read on for details.
(03/04/2025) Lookout Local
Read on to learn how you can apply to serve on the 2025-2026 session of the Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury and help hold local government to account.
(03/04/2025) Lookout Local
Read on to learn why Pajaro Valley Unified School District Chief Business Officer Jenny Im resigned following the last governing board meeting.
(03/03/2025) Lookout Local
In the wake of past devastating fires, Santa Cruz County residents in vulnerable "one-way-out" are taking the lead in preparing safe evacuation routes in case of future fires. Read on to learn more.
(03/03/2025) Santa Cruz Sentinel
Celebrating its 30th year, the Delta High School campus will be relocating over the summer. Read on to learn where.
(03/03/2025) Lookout Local
Read on to learn more about the rapid progress Joby Aviation is making as it works to begin offering commercial air taxi service in the next year or two.
(02/28/2025) Santa Cruz Sentinel
Read on to learn more about the 13th Annual Watsonville Film Festival coming to theaters throughout the county in March.
(02/27/2025) Lookout Local
Phase 1 of the clean up following the fires at the Moss Landing battery storage facility has begun. Read on to learn more about the process and how long it is expected to take.
(02/27/2025) Santa Cruz Sentinel
The biggest obstacle? Not enough housing. Read on to learn more.
(02/26/2025) Lookout Local
Read on to learn more about the University of California worker strike which commenced on February 26, including hundreds of UCSC employees.
(02/26/2025) Lookout Local
In their February 25 meeting, the Watsonville City Council voted unanimously to approve the he mid-year report for the 2024-25 budget. Read on to learn more.
(02/26/2025) Santa Cruz Sentinel
The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce announced the hiring of former Capitola Mayor Kristen Brown to be its new executive director. Read on for details.
(02/26/2025) Santa Cruz Sentinel
Following multiple fire at the Moss Landing battery storage facility, Santa Cruz County residents are voicing opposition to a proposed battery storage facility outside Watsonville. Read on to learn more.
(02/26/2025) Lookout Local
In their February 25 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted to establish a a juvenile camp program in Felton. Read on to learn more about the program and why supervisors are moving ahead despite opposition from some local youth advocacy groups.
(02/25/2025) Santa Cruz Sentinel
This appears to be the first such injunction since the U.S. Supreme Court let cities crack down on homeless encampments in California and beyond.
(03/04/2025) CalMatters
Since 2016, the DMV has collected more than $8 million from nearly 5,300 car sales, according to a CalMatters analysis.
(03/03/2025) CalMatters
Oakland Democrat Buffy Wicks said lawmakers will soon see 20 bills to speed up housing construction, along with more on energy, water and transit.
(03/03/2025) CalMatters
The governor’s announcement affects most of the state workforce and will take effect on July 1.
(03/03/2025) CalMatters
Two years ago, California made a bold announcement that it would manufacture a state-branded, low-cost insulin. Drug manufacturers, insurers, economists and diabetics took notice. It had the potential to disrupt the market, bring down drug costs and save patients’ lives.
(03/02/2025) CalMatters
RED MEANS FAILURE, green means progress. Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced a new tracker tool this week that shows how local agencies are using state funds to eradicate homelessness and rates their success. The concept is to pool data on grants and reporting so counties can watch other counties; the public can watch state spending; and the governor can make the argument for granting or cutting funds.
(02/28/2025) Local News Matters
State and federal water managers have announced significant increases to water allocations across California thanks to early February storms and healthy reservoir levels.
(02/28/2025) Local News Matters
In the past few months, some Democratic state legislators have joined the reported exodus of users on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
(02/27/2025) CalMatters
Almost 15 million Californians have health care coverage through Medi-Cal, a program that stands to lose billions of dollars if Republicans follow through on proposed cuts.
(02/27/2025) CalMatters
The governor has proposed spending climate bond money dedicated to wildfire mitigation in various ways. Some lawmakers think a focused strategy would be more effective.
(02/27/2025) CalMatters
Read on for details about a report on the 2-year Yolo County Basic Income Program which ended in April 2024.
(02/26/2025) The Sacramento Bee
It’s been eight months since the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed how cities in California and beyond can respond to homeless encampments, allowing them to clear camps and arrest people for sleeping outside — even when there’s nowhere else to sleep.
(02/26/2025) CalMatters
Each year, legislation aimed at better wildfire mitigation fails – often due to cost or conflict with environmental regulations.
(02/26/2025) CalMatters
Feather River College is still reeling from the 2021 Dixie Fire, which destroyed hundreds of homes in the surrounding community and warped the housing market. The college is one of many schools that have tried — and failed — to secure state grants to build more student housing.
(02/26/2025) CalMatters
University of California laboratory technicians, information technologists, museum and health care workers went on strike Wednesday to protest what they say are staffing shortages and other grievances.
(02/26/2025) Local News Matters
Ricardo Lara said he will look at information provided by State Farm before revisiting his previous decision to reject the company’s emergency rate hike.
(02/26/2025) CalMatters
A new program dubbed “Engaged California” aiming to give the public a greater voice in government is launching soon, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced. Described as an exercise in “deliberative democracy,” the program is designed to help the public influence and inform government actions such as the ongoing Los Angeles firestorm rebuilding and recovery, the governor’s office said.
(02/26/2025) Local News Matters
California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, a new law that stiffened penalties for certain drug and theft charges, and pledged to provide “mass treatment” for those facing drug charges.
But since the law took effect, some counties have been scrambling to implement the measure without new funding or, according to people involved in enforcing the law, sufficient resources.
(02/25/2025) CalMatters
California is giving students more time to apply for college aid due to a drop in completed applications.
(02/25/2025) EdSource
