Elena Neale-Sacks
Reporter/Producer, California Local News FellowElena is an Emmy award-winning researcher, reporter, and producer. At KAZU, they cover agriculture, housing and homelessness, and the aftermath of the January 2025 lithium battery fire in Moss Landing. Their reporting and research has been featured on NPR, KQED, Netflix, Reveal, CalMatters, and more. Elena is an alum of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and UC Santa Cruz. They live in Santa Cruz.
When they aren't reporting, chances are they're either playing ultimate frisbee, hiking, camping, board gaming, or hanging out with their cat Cheddar.
Email: elena@kazu.org
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Skilled trade workers plan to strike at CSU campuses, Salinas healthcare workers wait for their first union contract, Monarch butterfly population continues to decline, and more in this week's local news roundup. -
A bill introduced this week aims to ensure the future of the popular California State Library Parks Pass program. And, a concerning trend continues for migrating Monarch butterflies. -
Surfers rescued a family of six after a small boat capsized offshore in Santa Cruz on Saturday—just hours after the Coast Guard called off a 10-hour search for two surfers along West Cliff Drive. And, a new study from Stanford suggests adopting universal childcare could add billions of dollars to California’s economy. -
Black History Month events around the region, human remains found in Monterey County, Watsonville's Hope Village welcomes first residents, and more local news in this week's roundup. -
Watsonville’s Hope Village—a tiny home community for people living unsheltered on the Pajaro River levee—finally welcomes its first residents. And, Santa Cruz Public Libraries is hosting a screening this Saturday of the forthcoming documentary “The Inquisitor," which chronicles the legacy of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. -
A state regulator rejects Vistra's plans for assessing the impact on surface water and groundwater from its 2025 Moss Landing battery fire, local residents and elected officials denounce ICE operations, a local writer shares her perspective on the violent crackdowns in Iran, and more in this week's local news roundup. -
The Murray Street bridge in Santa Cruz temporarily reopens to eastbound traffic. And, a heated Monterey County Board of Supervisors meeting about local law enforcement’s cooperation with ICE. -
Seaside grieves after the fatal police shooting of 31-year-old Ronald Chyron Tinsley II, access to healthcare is a top priority for Monterey County residents, CalFresh benefits at farmers markets could change, and more in this week's local news roundup. -
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has taken another step toward implementing the Coastal Rail Trail by cutting ties with the existing railroad operator. And, California’s two U.S. senators are sounding the alarm over conditions at an immigration detention center in Southern California. -
An officer-involved shooting in Marina. A Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in Santa Cruz contends with a national background of civil rights regression. And, a state program that doubles CalFresh dollars spent at farmers markets may be at risk.
