Community

Lightning caused four small wildfires in Santa Clara, Monterey and San Benito counties as thunderstorms rumbled across the area Sept. 9, the National Weather Service said. A fire in Santa Clara County charred about one acre west of Coyote Creek, the weather service said. A...

A motorist died in a collision with another vehicle on Highway 152 near Lovers Lane on Dec. 22, according to authorities. All three people in the other vehicle, including a small child, were transported to a nearby hospital.  California Highway Patrol officers responded to the...

Austin Curtis, who has worked at the San Benito County Free Library for about 18 months, was named this week as the library’s new librarian.  Before starting his work with the local library, located at 470 Fifth Street in Hollister, Curtis worked about 18 months...

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’s growing and enthusiastic community of robotics students and mentors held an inaugural Robotics Community Day at Hollister High School’s Science & Robotics building April 15.  Families, kids and anyone interested in robotics and STEM education were treated to demonstrations and presentations by...

The perspective I am about to share is purely my own, yet it is rooted in decades of personal and professional investment in Hollister.  As a lifelong resident, this town has been the backdrop to my family’s milestones—from the joyous birth of my children to...

The key to understanding new Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ leadership might be his severe childhood stutter. Growing up, he often had his ears open more than his mouth. Now, Rivas said Wednesday in an interview hosted by the Sacramento Press Club, his greatest strength is...

There’s good news for San Benito County motorists regarding the upcoming Union Road closure as Caltrans has proposed an accelerated time frame for road work at the intersection of Highway 156. Previously, the closure was estimated to last for seven months, but in a...

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing disaster assistance to small businesses and persons in San Benito County that were affected by the winter storms earlier this year. The SBA is offering low-interest loans to those who suffered damage or financial loss due...

San Benito County supervisors’ choice of a Rosa Morada Road location for a new fire station in northern San Benito County looks like a sensible decision due to geography and the county’s existing ownership of a site there.