With the results of the 2010 census now in, residents of Santa Cruz County could see redistricting here to reflect shifting population centers. The Board of Supervisors district that would see the greatest change is District 4, represented by Greg Caput, which includes Watsonville. With the growth in population over the past few years, that district should shrink geographically, with some of its outlying areas being attached to neighboring districts.
Articles by Danny Wool
Stow Still in Coma after Baseball Game Beating
Bryan Stow, 42, is still in an induced coma after being beaten outside Dodgers Stadium on Thursday. On Saturday, surgeons removed a section of his skull to reduce swelling. Family and friends of the Santa Cruz father of two are waiting anxiously at his bedside at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for news about his condition.
Supreme Court Tosses Out Lawsuit by Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County has long believed that major drug companies are overcharging for their medicines. Rama Khalsa, administrator of the county’s Health Services Agency, believes that they have proved that now, following a case before the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, there is little the county can do about it. The Supreme Court voted 8-0 to toss out the case.
Durbin’s Band is On the Run
James Durbin and friends debuted their new band on Thursday before millions of eager television fans. The band, which consists of Casey Abrams (bass), Paul McDonald (guitar), and Stefano Legano (keyboards), as well as Durbin, performed their own rendition of the classic Wings hit “Band on the Run” in the lead-up to the announcement as to which of them would be booted off American Idol. During the song, each of the four contestants had a chance to show off his unique vocal talents.
Suspected Rapist Turns Himself In
Estevan Abram Lopez, 24, turned himself in to the Santa Cruz County Jail on Thursday, ending a two-month search for him.
Mountain Lion Spotted Downtown Causes Quarrel
Local residents and animal welfare groups are in a heated debate with the police over what to do about a mountain lion that was spotted roaming along Pacific Avenue by shopkeepers, homeless people, and private security officers. While Officials with the Department of Fish and Game continue their hunt for the predator, a group of radical environmentalists met at the SubRosa café on Thursday to demand that the animal be left to roam what was once its natural habitat. “We stole this land from the animals that once lived here,” said one participant, who only identified himself as Jag. “We can’t go shooting them just to maintain our exploitative bourgeoisie existence here.”
Wednesday Night’s Alright for Fighting
By all accounts, James Durbin is a fighter, and nowhere was that more obvious than in his performance last night on American Idol. It was, as we reported, Elton John night, and James was ready to rock. There would be none of that “Hakuna Matata” / “Sacrifice” / “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” whining. Leave that to the other contestants. This would be rock as it was meant to be performed, with an audience, live, raw, exciting, with prancing and pyrotechnics. If Jacob Lusk wants to caterwaul like a drag queen in a cat fight or if Casey Abrams wants to get in touch with his sensitive side, good for them. James Durbin was in it to win it. And he did it with style.
Getting Robbed? There’s An App for That
Ever wonder why there are suddenly six police cars parked across the street from you? Ever feel a need to listen to what the police are saying, whether you’re bored at home or coasting down the highway, trying to avoid traffic? The SCPD has the right app for you. They are calling it the first consumer-focused law enforcement app in the entire United States, with scanner feeds, videos and photos. You can even submit crime tips of your own, to help to keep the city safe. And you can access the SCPD’s new blog, to get the latest scoop about what’s going on in the department.
A YouTube Tribute to James Durbin
There are those that say that Rebecca Black’s song “It’s Friday” is the worst song ever written. I beg to differ. For one thing, she has 63 million hits on YouTube, and even if she has well over 1.15 million dislikes, that’s still a lot of hits. Then there is her musical expression of such existential questions as to which seat she should take in the car, front or back (oh, the angst!), and her clear dependence on medicinal marijuana to get through the morning, even before she has her Cheerios (“Gotta have my bowl. Gotta have cereal,” is not as innocent as it seems). Then there is her vindication of the California educational system, which has already taught her four out of the six seven days of the week. That’s almost half! “We we we so excited,” indeed.
Sixth Graders Hunt Mountain Lions
A group of sixth graders from Santa Cruz spent a rainy Saturday hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains, searching for mountain lions. They didn’t see any, but they certainly saw plenty of signs of the animals, including the remnants of past meals and, to their excitement, plenty of lion poop. At first they thought it could have been dog poop, but upon closer inspection, they found little bits of hair and bone in it—not something they find in animals’ reprocessed Alpo.
