Community

San Benito County Sheriff’s Commander Tomas Corral recently graduated from the exclusive FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, where he absorbed a wealth of knowledge, skills and resources that he expects will be highly beneficial to his career and his colleagues in local law...

As the rain departed and the clouds passed by, it was the Hollister track and field team that shined most brightly at the 51st Avis Kelley Invitational in Gilroy.  The big early-season meet on March 23 involved athletes from 39 schools all over the Central...

The 2024 Poppy Jasper International Film Festival will take place April 10-17, with an opening night celebration set to take place at Gavilan College.  The festival’s April 10 opening ceremony, scheduled to begin at 8pm, will feature local guests and dignitaries, including a land acknowledgment...

The latest round of storms to hit South Valley has brought a seemingly endless onslaught of downed trees, mudslides, power outages, local flooding and road closures that left many residents and commuters stranded.  In San Benito County, authorities rescued at least 14 people on March...

San Benito County officials said they have invited Salinas Valley Health to partner in an effort to find a long-term solution on the future operations of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, which filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy last month.  But the county also stopped short of...

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital recently received a $3 million loan from the state, according to hospital officials.  The loan comes from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority. The loan will allow the Hollister hospital to extend the timeline it needs to find a strategic partner...

San Benito County Superior Court Presiding Judge J. Omar Rodriguez is seeking community-oriented individuals to submit applications for participation in the 2024-25 Civil Grand Jury.  A press release from the court says the Civil Grand Jury is “an essential element of the judicial system committed...

For decades, San Benito County deferred necessary road improvements, leading to the terrible condition of most unincorporated roads today and universal frustration by local drivers.  When I ran for District 2 supervisor in 2020, I pledged to prioritize fixing the roads, and I most certainly...

I am entering my 37th year as a resident of San Benito County, which by many metrics is a long time, but by local standards I am just a “whippersnapper.” Many families can trace their heritage back seven or eight generations—having received land in...

The deadline to apply for direct assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was extended to July 20 for California residents in 12 counties who were impacted by winter storms.  The extension gives residents in San Benito, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and other impacted counties an...