Community

Bruce John Bannister, a local pastor who had a major impact on hundreds of lives, died June 9, at the age of 73 surrounded by family after a lengthy battle with cancer, his wife Dori told us.Bruce was born in San Jose on May...

A San Mateo woman died in a collision with a big-rig on Highway 152 in Gilroy on Dec. 9, according to authorities. About 3:15pm, the California Highway Patrol received reports of a traffic crash on State Route 152, west of State Route 156 in Gilroy....

Nonprofit receives grant for children’s services The independent nonprofit Partnership for Children, which increases access to medical care for children with serious illnesses and supports their families, has been awarded a $10,000 Program Project Grant from the Community Foundation for San Benito County. With the grant,...

Thanks for these tricks and treats in the Free Lance.   The recall effort tries for the trick. Recalling a supervisor shortly after an election seems like a tricky situation. A recall seems as though voters changed their minds rather soon after voting. Since no one volunteered...

The sports program at Hollister with the biggest improvement since last year is probably Brett Davis’s lacrosse unit. After two years of major struggles, these Balers are really rolling. Hollister is 8-6 overall, 4-5 in league play and right in the middle of the standings....

California State League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) recently named the San Benito County LULAC Council 2890 as the 2024 statewide Council of the Year, says a press release from the local organization.  “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the San Benito County LULAC...

Gavilan College has been awarded $1.9 million to expand its nursing program and help address regional healthcare workforce needs. The funds were awarded through the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Grant, says a press release from Gavilan College. The funding will support...

After an investigation that lasted about one year, authorities from San Benito County and neighboring agencies arrested an alleged gang member on June 1 who was in possession of more than 20 illegal firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to the sheriff’s...

The list of potential partners for Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital is down to two, with the future of the hospital and the San Benito Health Care District at a crossroads between a public and private option. At a special May 20 meeting of the district...

Cherry growers from Coyote Valley to Hollister are reporting one of the worst crops in recent memory after an unusually warm winter left trees without enough cold to fruit properly, followed by a heat wave during the critical bloom period that disrupted germination. “We have...