Guest view: Hospital needs outside, objective guidance to survive
The best chance for Hazel Hawkins Hospital to survive this fiscal crisis is for district leadership to embrace outside professional guidance—an objective third-party consultant—to develop a business plan in order to stabilize a deep structural deficit while pursuing an acquisition partner.
In my role as...
Corbin introduces magnet-powered motor
Mike Corbin, one of Hollister’s best-known business owners who has been a household name in the motorcycle world for decades, recently introduced his “proof of concept” prototype for a magnetically powered motor that he thinks will revolutionize the electric vehicle industry.
Known as the Corbin...
Fernwood Cellars navigates changes
Much has changed in the Santa Clara Valley since the pandemic. Brands have come and gone, but Fernwood Cellars, at the end of Redwood Retreat Road, has stayed the course, even through rocky times. Owners Matt and Tiffany Oetinger are in it for the...
Anzar boys basketball takes flight, wins league championship and a CCS playoff game
It’s been quite a journey for the Anzar High boys basketball team. Three years ago, the Hawks won just two games.
The following year, they didn’t even take the court due to Covid. But last season was the start of Anzar’s revival. It finished 12-2...
Josaiah Escalante-Aranda cements his place in Hollister High wrestling history
No matter what happens for the rest of his athletic career, Josaiah Escalante-Aranda has cemented his place in Hollister High wrestling history.
The junior won the 285 pound (heavyweight) title in the Central Coast Section Masters Finals Feb. 18 at Watsonville High, becoming the first...
State to close local Covid-19 test sites as reported cases decline
With Covid-19 numbers declining statewide, California’s public health officials continue to phase out now underutilized Covid-19 testing and treatment sites. That includes the Hollister OptumServe testing site, which is slated to close as of Feb. 23, according to San Benito County staff.
The local site...
End of guaranteed continuous Medi-Cal coverage could affect 10,000-plus San Benito residents
San Benito County public health officials will soon begin mailing notices to local Medi-Cal members to let them know that they are no longer guaranteed continuous coverage under pandemic-era waivers, and will resume the normal process to redetermine eligibility for the state’s public health...
Smith at helm as sports return to Hollister School District
Don Smith said the vibe at Hollister schools is different with the return of the after-school sports programs this year.
“The reintroduction of sports has completely changed the energy at our schools,” said Smith, a physical education teacher at Rancho San Justo Middle School and...
February is Children’s Dental Health Month in San Benito County
San Benito Public Health Services has joined the American Dental Association in proclaiming February as Children’s Dental Health Month, says a press release from San Benito County.
“The health of our families in our city and our state are dependent on the good health of...
Community Food Bank prepares for surge in demand
Thousands of households in San Benito County who have received extra CalFresh benefits due to pandemic-related hardships will see a reduction in their monthly allotments as of April 1, and local service providers are preparing now to meet the inevitable surge in demand that...


















