Community

The future of Gavilan College leadership is completely up in the air, and that’s a good thing for San Benito County.

The two candidates for San Benito County District 1 Supervisor are in a close race, with less than 100 votes separating them in the early, unofficial Nov. 8 results counted by elections officials.  As of the morning of Nov. 9, incumbent Betsy Dirks trails challenger...

As a retired Registered Nurse (R.N.), I read with great dismay the letter to the Free Lance by Louis Wilmington dated Aug. 11.  Wilmington stated that the financial crisis at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital can be “traced back nearly two decades of questionable management and...

A hot and fresh 44-year-old comedy hit the grill at Pintello Comedy Theater this week, with “Wally’s Cafe” opening at the local theater company’s venue at the Grange Hall in Gilroy. Running through May 24, the play follows the eponymous restaurateur “Wally” (portrayed by Charley...

Lately, it can feel like the world is weighed down with stress—global conflicts, economic uncertainty and the fast pace of everyday life. It’s easy to get caught up in the heaviness of it all. But right here in our own community, there are still...

California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas this week announced millions of dollars in new Cal Fire grant funding for programs including the San Benito Fire Safe Council that plan and implement wildfire prevention efforts.  The San Benito Fire Safe Council and Community Foundation for San Benito...

Logue makes Dean’s List Hollister resident Sam Logue, a Biology/Health major at Grove City College, has been named to the Dean's List with High Distinction for the Fall 2022 semester. Logue is a 2021 graduate of San Benito High School and is the daughter of...

San Benito County has recovered nearly $700,000 stolen from a recent vendor payment fraud scheme, according to the county Auditor-Controller’s Office.  The recovery of the funds will allow the county to “issue proper payment to the legitimate vendor,” Auditor-Controller Joe Paul Gonzalez said in a...

Hollister Police used a drone to locate and arrest a man who tried to evade officers by hiding on the roof of a local apartment complex, authorities said.  About 1am Jan. 2, a Hollister Police officer was on patrol when he noticed a man riding...

Three people were rescued from a burning home on Nash Road in Hollister the night of March 8, according to authorities. The structure fire displaced at least nine people, and the cause of the blaze is under investigation.  The Hollister Fire Department responded to the...