Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How a new encrypted radio system will change Santa Cruz emergency response

Coming up: GISSV'S German Holiday Market on the Santa Cruz Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Saturday December 13th Patch AM
Saturday December 13th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Hello Santa Cruz! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a new encrypted radio system will change Santa Cruz emergency response
  • How investigators finally traced a deadly Highway 1 hit-and-run
  • What happens next after MHCAN’s entire board walks away?

Also on today's calendar: GISSV'S German Holiday Market and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the boat dock say when it was arrested? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 61 and low of 44 degrees.
  • Sunday: Low clouds, then some sun, temps: high: 61, low: 43.
  • Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 65 and low of 49 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. County, cities agree to purchase encrypted emergency radio system (pajaronian.com) — Santa Cruz County and all its cities, including Santa Cruz and Watsonville, have agreed to join a new $18 million encrypted emergency radio network that should boost coverage from 65% to 95% by 2028. The shared RING system will modernize communications for police, fire and other responders, but officials still must decide how often to encrypt law-enforcement traffic and how to fund ongoing costs.
   

2. Santa Cruz woman charged 8 months after deadly hit-and-run along North Coast (santacruzsentinel.com) — Law enforcement has charged a 24-year-old Santa Cruz woman in connection with an April hit-and-run on Highway 1 in north Santa Cruz County that killed a pedestrian. After months of investigation, CHP’s Santa Cruz unit and a county task force traced a damaged Subaru to a Bay Area body shop, leading to felony hit-and-run and evidence-destruction charges.
   

3. Months after closure, leaders of Santa Cruz homeless services nonprofit unanimously quit (santacruzlocal.org) — Santa Cruz County’s main contractor for homeless mental health services has lost its entire board, leaving its Cayuga Street center closed while the county weighs whether to terminate a contract worth up to $477,939. County staff will meet with former MHCAN leaders Dec. 15 and brief supervisors Dec. 16, decisions that could shape future services for unhoused residents.
   

4. California State Parks conducts pile burning in Santa Cruz Mountains - Press Banner (pressbanner.com) — State Parks crews are actively burning hundreds of brush piles in Big Basin, Henry Cowell, Castle Rock and other Santa Cruz County mountain parks to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health. Smoke will be visible at times through April 2026, with burns only happening when weather and air quality allow. Residents can track activity via the Santa Cruz prescribed burns webpage and hotline.
   

📸 Around Santa Cruz

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Santa Cruz

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Santa Cruz Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Santa Cruz PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • PSA: There are folks going around door to door trying to solicit signatures or payment for an alternative energy company called "SFE".
    The guy was being really strange and pretending he couldn't understand us. This is a scam. Do not give them your info! (Nextdoor Garfield Park Circles)
  • LOST CAT
    **FOUND** His name is Riggy and he went missing about an hour ago. Im off laurel and felix across the street from the high school fields. Please… (Nextdoor Laurel & Neary)
  • Costco Wholesale Corporation posted a job opening for Bakery Wrapper / Sanitation in Santa Cruz. Apply here.
  • Dollar Tree posted a job opening for Assistant Manager II in Santa Cruz. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Santa Cruz here.

Ok Santa Cruz! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I demand a jury of my piers.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Santa Cruz