Dieter Holger

Clothing recycling is poised to take off, as companies look to solve the industry’s huge waste problem.

Since 2021, investors have spent nearly $1.45 billion on purchases of single-family homes, in Santa Cruz County accounting for around 44% of total sales value. Investors who own more than 100 properties nationwide accounted for nearly 9% of local single-family home purchases as of October, tripling from 3% in 2023.

Residents who live in the area outside Watsonville where a battery storage plant is proposed are arguing against the facility on safety grounds. The company proposing it, however, insists that new technology is safer and more reliable.

This year, some Santa Cruz homeowners were able to save thousands of dollars when filing taxes. That's due to an increased cap on state and local tax deduction referred to as SALT.

After the Department of Justice eased medical marijuana's legal status, full reclassification could come as early as this year – a move industry participants say would help level the playing field for cannabis businesses by lowering taxes and fostering financing and trade opportunities.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for shipping energy in the Persian Gulf, has sent the prices of diesel and petroleum-based fertilizer – key farming resources – soaring globally. Now, the supply crunch is coming home to roost in agrarian communities like Santa Cruz County.

The city of Santa Cruz has lost 1.3% of its population since 2024 and 3.7% since 2020, a Lookout analysis of the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau finds. The decline is part of a broader exodus from expensive places in California where people struggle to land high-paying jobs.

Santa Cruz County’s gubernatorial primary results revealed a clear demographic divide: Tom Steyer performed best in whiter, more college-educated communities, while Xavier Becerra drew strong support from Latino-majority areas such as Watsonville, helping propel him into the November run-off against Republican Steve Hilton.