City of Santa Cruz to temporarily close beaches, Wharf
City of Santa Cruz will temporarily close city beaches and the Santa Cruz Wharf beginning Friday, Nov. 13, at 10pm, through Sunday, Nov. 15, at 5am, in response to dangerous high surf and hazardous coastal conditions forecast for the weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued a High Surf Warning, with dangerously large breaking waves potentially reaching 25 to 35 feet along portions of the coast. These conditions pose significant risks to public safety, including powerful waves, coastal flooding and potential impacts to coastal infrastructure.
While the Santa Cruz Wharf remains structurally safe, the City is taking proactive precautions to limit public exposure to hazardous ocean conditions. The Wharf will remain open for regular business hours on Friday, with the closure taking effect at 10pm. The City anticipates reopening the Wharf and beaches on Sunday, contingent on weather and ocean conditions.
“Our first priority is keeping our community safe, and we ask everyone to make safety their priority, too,” said Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey. “Entering the water or approaching hazardous coastal areas puts not only your life at risk, but also the lives of the marine safety personnel who may be called upon to rescue you. Please respect these closures and give the ocean the space it demands.”
The City urges residents and visitors to stay away from beaches, coastal access points, rocks and other areas exposed to high surf. Large waves can arrive unexpectedly, sweep people off their feet and create life-threatening conditions even for those standing well away from the water. City personnel will continue monitoring conditions throughout the weekend and will provide updates if closures need to be extended or modified.
The public is encouraged to follow official City of Santa Cruz communications and National Weather Service updates for the latest information.
Scotts Valley police receive $60K grant for traffic safety
Scotts Valley Police Department has received a $60,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support enforcement and education programs aimed at reducing serious traffic injuries and deaths.
The grant will fund a range of efforts targeting speeding, reckless driving and other dangerous behaviors, including driving under the influence and distracted driving.
“This grant funding is a major step forward in our efforts to reduce dangerous driving and prevent serious crashes in Scotts Valley,” Police Sgt. Sjon Tol said.
Planned activities include DUI checkpoints and patrols, high-visibility enforcement of California’s hands-free cellphone law, and operations targeting violations that put pedestrians and bicyclists at risk. Officers also will focus on common traffic violations that contribute to crashes, including speeding, failure to yield, running stop signs and red lights, and improper turns and lane changes.
The grant also will support community presentations on distracted and impaired driving, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety, as well as joint enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies. Funding will provide training and recertification for officers in identifying and evaluating suspected impaired drivers, including Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement and Drug Recognition Expert training.
The grant program runs through September 2027. Funding was provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Santa Cruz County updates human services data dashboard
Santa Cruz County Human Services Department has updated its public data dashboard with fiscal year 2025-26 information, providing an overview of services and program outcomes for residents.
The data covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and highlights trends in employment and economic security, health and well-being, safety and care, and housing assistance. The department provides social services and support to nearly one-third of Santa Cruz County’s population.
Among the changes compared with the previous fiscal year, the department reported a 5% increase in the number of job seekers finding employment within six months of leaving a program, along with a 21% increase in earnings for adult job seekers receiving assistance.
The number of unduplicated individuals receiving Medi-Cal and CalFresh benefits decreased by 4% in each program. Meanwhile, the number of older adults, people with disabilities and dependent minors receiving in-home care increased by 11%. Child welfare referrals for possible abuse or neglect increased by 8%, while the number of open cases decreased by 11%.
The number of households experiencing homelessness that enrolled in a housing program declined by 5%. Nearly 50% of people exiting homelessness services moved into permanent housing, a 3% decrease from the previous year.
The department’s annual budget is approximately $200 million, with nearly 90% coming from state and federal funding. Services include health coverage, food assistance, cash aid, workforce development, homelessness support and protective services for vulnerable children and adults. The updated dashboard also includes charts detailing department programs, maps showing service data by supervisorial district, incorporated cities and school districts, and information on budgeted revenues and expenditures for fiscal year 2025-26.
“We appreciate that our agency’s dashboard can help the community understand HSD’s service demands, assess program results, and identify areas needing attention,” Human Services Department Director Randy Morris said. “We hope our updated data sheds greater light on the year-over-year trends in the work to help vulnerable residents access vital programs and benefits for children, families, older adults and people with disabilities—especially as we face significant federal and state safety net cuts that could deeply impact those we serve.”
The Making a Difference dashboard is available at santacruzhumanservices.org/Home/AboutUs/MakingaDifference.
