Community

People convicted of distributing fentanyl will face stiffer criminal penalties in the coming year under a new law shaped by rising overdose deaths. The law increases the penalty for selling or distributing more than one kilogram of fentanyl by an automatic addition of three years...

A law that classifies human trafficking of a minor for the purposes of a commercial sex act as a “serious felony” took effect Jan. 1, less than six months after debate around the bill roiled the Capitol.  Under current law, human trafficking of a minor...

As the year comes to a close, it is fitting to reflect on what has been achieved in and around Hollister and at City Hall. The City Council has been very focused on strategic planning, getting the city staffed up and improving operations.  We had...

At least one died in a vehicle collision near Gilroy on Monday midnight, barely an hour after New Year arrived, according to California Highway Patrol.  The CHP said two vehicles, a Nissan SUV and a Chevy pickup truck, were involved in the fatal crash which...

The community is invited to Hollister High School's library on Jan. 17 (in Spanish) and Jan. 18 (in English) for community town halls to update the planning and preparation process for a second high school in the San Benito High School District.  The events, which...

In my last column I highlighted Rosy and Rich Bergen’s Little Uvas Vineyard (LUV) and their facility called “The Garage” at 255 Fitzgerald Ave. in San Martin. Their long range plan is to have other businesses, like other wineries and eateries, help fill the...

In a milestone for creating a major new source of drinking water, California has approved its first standards for turning sewage into potable water supplies delivered to homes and businesses. The State Water Resources Control Board, in a unanimous vote Dec. 19, outlined for the...

Californians that partake in cannabis use in their off-work down time will have more employment protections beginning Jan. 1 thanks to new laws.   Assembly Bill 2188 is an amendment to the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and prohibits employers from discriminating against a worker...

California workers will be guaranteed five paid sick days a year starting Jan. 1, up from the three days that employers are currently required to provide, thanks to Senate Bill 616.  The bill, authored by Long Beach Democratic Sen. Lena Gonzalez, also extends protections against...

As California tackles its fentanyl crisis, two new laws will be taking effect in January that will make drugs that reverse the effects of opioid overdoses easier to access in certain places and update the so-called good Samaritan law to include those who administer...