Community

San Benito County’s April 20 Earth Day celebration will offer a variety of fun and games, as well as numerous chances to learn about how attendees can help keep the planet green and clean for themselves and future inhabitants.  The Earth Day event is scheduled...

The 9,400-acre Silacci Ranch—a sprawling landscape that stretches from the Salinas Valley floor to the peaks of the Gabilan Range—will be protected forever from suburban sprawl following a recent agreement between the property owner and a California land trust.  The Silacci Ranch is located in...

Bill’s Bullpen comic book store in downtown Hollister has chalked up its 35th year and counting. Owner Bill Mifsud said that Dec. 1 marked three-and-a-half decades of marketing a huge array of comic books, on top of sports apparel, sports cards, non-sports cards, shirts...

The Hollister High School Winter Percussion Ensemble took their talents to the stage earlier this month.  The youth band, led by Director Michael Tabrizi, performed March 16 at Gavilan College for the annual Bach To Blues concert at the college’s theater at the main campus...

As the U.S. Senate debates the sweeping legislation known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” it’s worth asking a critical question: who really pays the price for political ambition? For rural communities like ours in San Benito County, the answer may hit closer to home...

Re: Hundreds protest on No Kings Day, Free Lance, June 20, 2025 Never before have I seen such enthusiasm before carrying out a protest or rally. People arrived with a mission to accomplish. Many arrived before noon and remained well into the late afternoon celebrating...

Avian influenza, a “highly pathogenic” viral disease that infects poultry and birds—and is potentially transmissible to humans—has been detected in San Benito County, according to local public health officials.  The disease, also known as “bird flu,” was found recently in poultry flocks in a number...

Local art for sale at Night Market The San Benito County Arts Council invites the community to attend their inaugural Open Studios Night Market, taking place 5-8pm April 13 at the Art Depot, 35 Fifth Street in downtown Hollister. This art-focused Night Market will feature original...

A group of San Benito County residents calling themselves the “Public Safety First” committee is seeking to recall two supervisors less than a year after they were sworn in for office.  The group recently began circulating petitions throughout the county to recall District 2 Supervisor...

The selection of a Bay Area native as presidential nominee of one of the major parties bears watching here in the bear flag state. If successful, she would not only be America’s first female president and the first one of South Asian heritage—she would...