In today's newscast:
Bridge woes continue
In Santa Cruz, the three-year Murray Street Bridge seismic retrofit has reached its mid-point but remains fully closed.
The free Santa Cruz water taxi operated on a rare Tuesday this week. The boat carries passengers from one side of the harbor to the other. It’s a quick ride. By car, with the Murray Street bridge closed, it takes much longer.
Passenger Gay Giffen appreciates the water taxi but wishes it ran every day, not just on weekends and special occasions.
"They need to provide a water taxi seven days a week for all of the people who want to get to the other side," she said. "And for all of the businesses that are suffering because the bridge is closed."
The taxi operated that evening for National Night Out. Santa Cruz Community Service Officer Jessica Goode says the event is at the harbor this year in part because of the bridge work.
"We really wanted to promote all the wonderful things that are on the east side of Santa Cruz," she said.
The bridge will reopen in one direction this fall. More full-closures are on the schedule before the $50 million project wraps in January 2028.
New rules could threaten quality of Head Start
The Trump administration wants to streamline Head Start regulations for class sizes, teachers’ qualifications and more.
Officials say cutting red tape will give local programs more control.
But Head Start California executive director Melanee Cottrill told our partner KQED that deregulation might weaken the quality.
"Head Start has always been the gold standard in this type of program," Cottrill said. "And it’s more highly regulated because it is so unique and because it does so many different things."
She says Head Start has higher standards than other programs because it provides healthcare checks, nutritious meals and other antipoverty services for the most vulnerable children.
