As detritus from the badly damaged Santa Cruz pier washes ashore, California State Parks officials are keeping three beaches closed. “Because of the amount of debris washing up onto the local beaches from the collapsing Santa Cruz municipal wharf,” Twin Lakes State Beach, Seabright State Beach and San Lorenzo Point will be closed until Dec. 30 at 6 a.m., Santa Cruz State Beaches said.

Seacliff State Beach and Rio Del Mar State Beach both reopened on Christmas morning, though visitors should take care: A high-surf warning is in effect along the coast from Thursday morning until Sunday afternoon. The National Weather Service is advising people to stay off piers and jetties.

About 150 feet of the Santa Cruz pier and an entire building housing a restroom broke off into the ocean on Monday amid battering waves. Three people working on the pier plunged into the water, where two needed rescue and a third was able to rescue themselves. Since then, pieces of the wharf have been washing onto local beaches. There is no estimated reopening for the wharf itself. Waves also pulled support piling from the Cayucos Pier about 160 miles south down the Central Coast. The end of the pier was already closed as it incurred damage during stormy conditions in February.

“Please be cautious when near the ocean, as debris from damage north of Capitola is making its way down the coastline,” the Capitola Police Department said. “Several large pilings from the Santa Cruz wharf have found their way to our shores, creating an extreme hazard. Please use caution if you are in the area.”

Children’s Hospital Colorado signed an agreement this week with TriWest Healthcare Alliance to remain in network with Tricare, which will ensure that Children’s medical services for uniformed service members, retirees and their families in Colorado don’t lapse.

The new arrangement, which begins on Jan. 1, comes as Tricare switches third-party companies — from Health Net to TriWest — to administer its healthcare plans. Tricare is overseen by the Defense Health Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Defense.

In a press release, Children’s Hospital Colorado said the new deal supplants a plan that would have moved it to a non-network participation status with Tricare. Children’s said Tricare reimbursement for children’s hospitals remains “well below the cost of providing care.”

This past spring, Children’s warned that it would have to make cuts to key departments this year because of a change in how Tricare pays for care. The insurer tied the payments to what Medicare would pay for the same services, as Tricare does for services to adults at civilian hospitals.

The U.S. Department of Defense said the change, which was implemented in October 2023, would save the military up to $45 million in taxpayer funds annually, according to the Military Times.

Children’s Hospital Colorado estimated it had lost about $2.1 million a month since the reimbursement change was put in place compared to how Tricare used to pay. The system estimated about 16,000 kids insured by Tricare receive care at Children’s Hospital Colorado facilities, and about one in five children who receive care at the Colorado Springs hospital and clinics have military coverage.

Children’s this week said it will continue conferring with the Department of Defense, and elected officials, to ensure it can maintain high-quality, specialty pediatric care for all kids in Colorado.

“We are grateful for all the individuals and families who have joined us in our efforts over the past 18 months to address these TRICARE cuts,” the hospital said in a statement. “We will continue to share opportunities where your advocacy can help us preserve critical access to healthcare services for military families like yours at Children’s Colorado.”

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The Seattle Seahawks head into Thursday night’s road game against the Chicago Bears with three key players officially ruled out, including running back Kenneth Walker III. Walker injured his ankle during the fourth quarter of last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings and was unable to return. After sitting out all practices during the short week, the team confirmed Walker will miss his fifth game of the season, further limiting Seattle’s backfield depth.

Despite Walker’s absence, the Seahawks will have backup running back Zach Charbonnet available. Charbonnet, the team’s second-leading rusher, was initially limited earlier in the week with an elbow injury but fully participated in the final two practices. He saw limited action in Week 16 but is expected to take on a larger workload with Walker sidelined.

In addition to Walker, the Seahawks will also be without tight end Brady Russell and safety K’Von Wallace. Russell has been dealing with a lingering foot injury for most of the second half of the season and will miss his third consecutive game and fifth overall this year. Wallace, who returned to practice earlier this month after being activated from injured reserve, participated fully this week but has not yet been cleared for game action and will remain out for another week.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears will be shorthanded, ruling out four players and listing three others as questionable for the matchup. Among those out is offensive tackle Teven Jenkins, who did not practice this week due to a calf injury. His absence further weakens Chicago’s offensive line, which has already struggled to protect rookie quarterback Caleb Williams this season. Former Seahawk and current Bears running back/special teamer Travis Homer has also been ruled out with a hamstring injury, taking away a key contributor on special teams.

Seattle Seahawks Injury Report

Seattle’s Thursday practice report follows below.