Community

A federal committee last week approved a program that includes about $63 million in funding for the improvement and expansion of water infrastructure. If approved by Congress, more than $15 million in upgrades could be dedicated to San Juan Bautista and Hollister, according to...

Caregivers who work at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital are rallying to have their pensions, healthcare plans and vacation time restored after the hospital cut the benefits as part of a 2023 bankruptcy filing, says the union that represents the employees.  Hundreds of employees of HHMH—including...

Arts Council debuts first Pop-Up Market The San Benito County Arts Council invites the community to a Pop-Up Market at The Art Depot in downtown Hollister on Feb. 11, from noon to 4pm. The market will feature original artworks, art prints, wall décor, handcrafted resin gifts...

Hollister High School culinary teacher and chef Mike Fisher has been named San Benito High School District’s Manager of Nutrition Services, effective at the start of the new semester in January.  Mr. Fisher, a 2003 Baler alumnus, has led the school’s culinary program for the...

Re: Changing Rules & Cherry Picking Free Lance, July 4, 2025 Most people like to play Monopoly. It is a fun way to learn about the economy. One thing we learn is to stay out of jail. Jail happens when we land on the Jail...

Thousands of local residents and visitors enjoyed a sunny weekend in celebration of the 91st San Benito County Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo.  The three-day rodeo took place at Bolado Park Event Center in Tres Pinos, and featured a full slate of popular local traditions,...

A fire destroyed two buildings in an apartment complex on Line Street Jan. 6, leaving dozens of Hollister residents suddenly without homes over the weekend, according to city officials.  In the days since the blaze, an outpouring of donations and community support for the victims—driven...

The names of the two men whose bodies were found in a pickup truck in the Santa Cruz Mountains a week ago were released Tuesday by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s Office. The identities of the victims, previously identified by family members, are Colter...

The frequent skyward grind of one winged craft tugging another winged but motor-less craft compels me to look up and wonder. Those pilots must see from above what I can only see by the photography that spilled from my mailbox. The arrival of maps and...

Gwendolyn Baquiran, San Benito County Office of Education’s Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, has been selected to receive the Filipina Women’s Network’s 2025 Most Influential Filipina Women of the World Award in the category of “Innovator & Thought Leader; Pioneer of Progress.” Chosen from a...