Catalytic Converters Recovered + Track Santa To Santa Cruz

Happy Friday, Surf City! Courtney Teague here with your Christmas Eve edition of the Santa Cruz Daily. Here's everything you need to know in town today.

Santa Claus will be coming to town soon and we've got the details on how you and your kids can track ol' Saint Nick's route to Santa Cruz throughout the day.

First, today's weather:

Occasional morning rain. Grab a raincoat! High of 56, low of 45.

We've still got some rain in the forecast for the days ahead, so don't forget to check out our Santa Cruz sandbag pickup guide.

Lots of flooding in nearby San Mateo County Thursday. Be careful out there.

Here is another look at the flooding in Moss Beach at Hwy 1 this morning. We are in for an extended period of rain, and driving conditions are expected to deteriorate. For your safety, drive with extreme caution, and stay home if possible. #CaWx @sanmateoco pic.twitter.com/QH2no0ghWH
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) December 23, 2021

Here are the top stories today in and around Santa Cruz:

1. Law Enforcement Crackdown Begins In Santa Cruz For Holidays (Santa Cruz Patch)
2. Fentanyl, Heroin, $11K In Cash Recovered By Police (Santa Cruz Patch)
3. Santa Tracker 2021: When St. Nick Arrives In Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz Patch)
4. Santa Cruz County car stop yields four catalytic converters, arrest of East Bay man (East Bay Times)

Today's Santa Cruz Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Santa Cruz!

Today in Santa Cruz:

• Christmas Eve Holiday - All branches close at 2pm (12:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Santa Cruz Warriors: "Through the #SwishesForDishes initiative, the #SeaDubs scored 177 points this week, which equals 1,770 meals donated to the community! That brings the total for the season to 13,760 meals donated to Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz th..." (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter: "We still have room in our upcoming volunteer orientations scheduled for January. You can join us to learn about volunteer opportunities on January 5th at the Capitola library! Learn more and register here: " (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce: "🎥Banff Centre Mountain Film Fest🎥 - tickets on sale NOW(@coolmomsc) (Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival) (Rio Theatre It’s back! The 2022 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival is coming to Santa Cruz, starting February 25. Enjoy touchin..." (Facebook)
• UCSC Libraries: "We are officially closing for winter break - we'll see you next year, slugs!" (Facebook)
• Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries: "Opportunity to win a beautiful quilt while supporting the FSCPL capital campaign. “One of a Kind” is an original pattern from Sally Smith, a Kiwi quilter. It measures 70”x 70” and is 100% cotton. The cute fabric folk appliquéd on the qui..." (Facebook)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Westlake Neighbors: "Does anyone have any gym recommendations in Santa Cruz that have student discounts? - If so, could you please let me know which one and the monthly rate. I appreciate it a lot😊 happy holidays." (Nextdoor)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, NW Opal Cliffs: "Know of anyone who can repair/clean a 1950 Western Holly oven? - The washer/dryer broke down, the car down today and now tonight the oven, so we had an emergency visit from PGE (They did a fantastic job) who disconnected the oven and it ..." (Nextdoor)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Save 15 Percent On FTD’s Christmas Collection (December 25)
• FORESIGHT - New Year's Eve Dance Party (December 31)
• Indie Pop Star Michelle Lambert Celebrates New Year’s Eve in Monterey! (December 31)
• Add your event

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You're all caught up for today.

I'm taking some time off over the holiday, but I'll be back in your inbox in 2022 to help you start your morning off on an informed note.

Have a safe, happy holiday season, Santa Cruz!

— Courtney Teague