Community

Three Hollister High School students died in a traffic collision just east of Highway 25 the night of Jan. 14, according to authorities. A recent graduate of HHS was also involved in the accident, and was in critical condition as of Wednesday morning.  School staff...

California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, of Hollister, and a delegation of 14 Assembly members met with firefighters and officials in Los Angeles last week to discuss how to further assist emergency response efforts, and to fast-track recovery from the devastating and deadly wildfires, Rivas’...

Last season, the Pacific Coast Athletic League, Gabilan Division championship race in girls basketball was a two-team battle between Hollister and Alisal. This year, the division is very different.  The crown of the PCAL’s top loop last season was shared by the Balers and the...

Thank you for the Free Lance interview of Zoe Lofgren. She deserves every bit of newsprint. I felt proud of her service on the Jan. 21, 2021 commission so when reading the following quote I wondered how Representative Lofgren would feel now: “I considered...

San Benito County Recology customers can recycle their Christmas tree at the curb, free of charge. Trees should be cut into sections no greater than three feet and set out for collection the night before your normal service day, or no later than 6am...

After celebrating the holidays with her family and recovering from a bout of Covid, Zoe Lofgren flew back to Washington, DC on Jan. 2 to begin her new term representing California’s 18th Congressional District in the US Congress. The district follows Highway 101 from...

The Hollister Independence Rally is set to return to town on Fourth of July weekend, for the first time since 2017. The city council voted unanimously at the Jan. 7 meeting to approve and authorize the 2025 motorcycle rally in downtown Hollister. City Manager David...

This time of New Year’s resolutions can be productive or destructive. Let’s see what happened with the old city council. They strongly lost their bid for re-election but then they gave the “finger” to voters by a last gift to developers. In spite of their...

Applications for the 2025 Hazel Hawkins Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Awards are now available.  Each year, the Auxiliary awards scholarships to students who are pursuing a medical or medically oriented career, says a press release from Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital. The total amount awarded to each...

On their last day in office, Dec. 3, 2024, the outgoing Mayor, Mia Casey, and her city council majority (Rick Perez, Dolores Morales and Tim Burns) approved a terrible General Plan. This Plan expands the city's “Sphere of Influence” by 3,000 acres into the...