Letter: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ could have severe consequences for local healthcare
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...
Nurses rally in Hollister
A small group of registered nurses rallied outside Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital Thursday in support of adequate staffing at the Hollister medical facility, which is currently facing a financial emergency.
“(We are) focusing on safe staffing,” said Pedro Silva, an RN at HHMH and member...
San Benito County residents eligible for electric vehicle incentives
Incentives up to $5,000 are available for San Benito County residents who purchase or lease a new or used electric or hybrid vehicle.
The 2025-26 Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (EVIP) was launched July 1 by the Monterey Bay Air Resources District. Residents of Monterey and...
Letter: Measure tries to deceive
Re: Legislator’s unwritten rule, Free Lance, Sept. 27, 2024
Because of the need for discussion and debate voiced by a concerned California legislator we need to discuss our November ballot. Measure X’s wording is carefully crafted to deceive the voter. Similarly, the electric car was...
LETTER: Changes coming to real estate industry
There have been various bits of information and opinions in the news lately about changes coming to the real estate industry and what they mean for homebuyers and sellers.
As a Santa Clara County Realtor and current president of the Santa Clara County Association of...
Pitcher Trent Roach led Balers to first CCS title, now heads to Cal
Hollister pitcher Trent Roach had a season for the ages in 2025. He was untouchable, with a 0.00 ERA in 78 innings, no earned runs allowed and only one unearned run yielded. Roach, who also hit .525 for the season and was named to...
Hospital plans to expand women’s health services
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital announced recently it will expand its service line of women’s health services by introducing new physicians to support care in San Benito County.
Dr. James Lilja recently joined the HHMH medical staff, adding the specialized field of gynecologic oncology to the...
Insight Health withdraws from negotiations to lease, purchase Hazel Hawkins
The San Benito Health Care District announced Aug. 13 that Insight Health is stepping away from negotiations on a proposed lease-to-purchase agreement for Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, citing unprecedented uncertainty stemming from the recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
The federal legislation will...
Inmate escapes from San Benito County Jail
Inmate Daniel Lopez Zavala escaped from the San Benito County Correctional Facility early Tuesday morning, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities are asking the public to keep an eye out and call police if anyone sees him.
About 1:53am May 28, Zavala escaped from the...
Local Scene: Literacy summit scheduled for Jan. 25
Help address literacy challenges at Jan. 25 summit
Local education officials and experts will host a literacy summit in San Benito County next week in order to address the achievement gap in reading and language arts education among local students.
The SBCOE Literacy Summit: Unlocking a...
