Community

A 3.0-magnitude earthquake was reported Tuesday morning near San Martin in southern Santa Clara County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake was reported at 10:40am April 11 and was centered about 5 miles east-northeast of San Martin and 12 miles east of Morgan...

Two men were hospitalized with major injuries following a crash Monday morning on State Highway 129 in Santa Cruz County, according to the California Highway Patrol. The two-car crash occurred about 6:30am Jan. 29 near Rogge Lane, east of Watsonville. Details of what led to the...

A bicyclist was killed July 18 when a tree branch fell on her in Gilroy, the California Highway Patrol said.  The 65-year-old woman was traveling southbound on Roop Road north of Leavesley Road at an unknown speed when a large tree branch broke off and...

San Benito High School District recently received a $200,000 Farm To School Incubator Grant to procure fresh produce and meat that is locally grown and organically farmed in San Benito County, according to a press release from the district.  Additionally, the funding from the California...

Open letter to San Benito County residents, Nov. 8:  I am writing to share my gratitude for your engagement in our recent election and to provide a brief update on how the day unfolded. Thanks to your participation, the election was a resounding success, with...

Lately I have been coming across the refrain that newer residents of San Benito County are somehow hypocritical if they voice concern or opposition to the out-of-control housing growth. This could not be further from the truth. Our newly settled neighbors have some of...

Numbers don’t lie with the remarkably unsustainable fiscal path for fire services in San Benito County.  With constant misinformation, I must set the record straight on skyrocketing costs and a broken system needing immediate reform.  If we ignore these warning signs, we will continue tumbling down...

Noisy, high-impact construction work will occupy the Highway 156 Improvement Project with a pile driving operation starting July 3, according to Caltrans.  The pile driving will begin in the area of the neighborhoods near Mission Farms RV Park and the Copperleaf community. The operation will...

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...

Hot/cold, run/walk, up/down, fast/slow, like these opposites the Free Lance front page (June 30) displayed two stories each one opposite to the other. I am wondering what readers think and how they respond.   One story, a true bottom report, documented, “Hollister OKs more housing hookups...