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In the last couple of years, San Benito High softball coach Andrew Barragan has purposely scheduled ultra-tough non-league competition to put the Haybalers in the best position to win a league and section championship. Sometimes the players react well to it, and sometimes—as was the...

On World Water Day, March 22, the Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials passed three bills that aim to protect the state’s water sources and access, according to a press release from Assemblymember Robert Rivas.   The first piece of legislation, Assembly Bill 2106,...

The San Juan Bautista Art & Craft Festival returned to the streets of the San Benito County town last weekend for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic started, bringing crowds of all ages and enthusiastic vendors. The festival, which took place March 26 and...

Local agencies and organizations will host local families and residents with food, music, raffles, face painting and more at the Voter’s Choice Act Kickoff celebration on April 2. The event will take place 11am-2pm on the patio of the Hollister Veterans Memorial building, 649 San...

Two people died and three others were sent to the hospital with injuries as a result of a shooting that was possibly gang-related March 26 in Hollister, according to authorities. Hollister Police identified the deceased victims as Jaime Jesus Gomez, 23, and Daniel Eli Gonzalez,...

The San Benito County Office of Education's Annual STEAM Expo took place March 16, featuring more than 290 students who entered science and STEAM projects in six different categories.  The Overall Science Project Award winner was Kendyl Gamble, of Aromas Elementary School, says a press...

San Benito County has about $80,000 available for grants through the Microbusiness Covid-19 Relief Program. The grants are intended to aid very small businesses that have been adversely impacted by the pandemic, according to county staff.  The county board of supervisor accepted the funds from...

The problem with excess housing remains. Unlike Monopoly—where we can slide the pieces back into the box, fold the board game, lid the whole and store the box—we cannot remove large expensive houses and herd the cattle back onto grazing land. We cannot replace...

Special to the Free Lance The Hollister School Board of Trustees voted to lay off an additional 26 employees on March 10.  Although the board met on March 3 and made the decision to lay off 33 staff members, Superintendent Erika Sanchez showed in her budget...

City of Hollister and San Benito County officials are taking steps to speed up the repair and upgrades of local deteriorating roadways by allocating large sums of money for the efforts. The Hollister City Council on March 21 approved the sale of $20 million in...