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I agree with Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner in regard to considering options for Caltrain rail service in the future. In the same vein, Gilroy City Councilmember Zach Hilton must be commended for his effort to work with South County representatives in attempting to...

Gurleen Khajuria, a Gavilan College STEM tutor and aspiring materials scientist, has been awarded the 2025 Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Scholarship.  The $20,000 award supports community college students transferring to UC Santa Cruz who have shown exceptional academic achievement, leadership and commitment to service. Gavilan...

Local CalFresh recipients will see a delay in their benefits in November due to the federal government shutdown, says a notice from the San Benito County Health & Human Services Agency.  San Benito County currently serves 7,742 people and 3,794 families with CalFresh benefits, which...

Re: County leaders show support, Free Lance 6/27/25 Never before has this decision by our sheriff, Eric Taylor, in union with our neighboring counties been importantly decisive.  “The direction to my staff is that hardworking migrants …must be left alone.” Because law is about being human; that...

Gavilan football and men’s and women’s soccer are having great seasons. The Rams’ men’s soccer team is 3-4-2. Wins have come against Redwoods 2-1, Contra Costa 3-0 and Monterey Peninsula 10-1, with a 1-1 tie against Lemoore and a 1-1 tie against Siskiyous.  Edisson Torres and...

Pinnacle Arts Association announced the official kickoff of the Hollister Cultural Arts Center Feasibility Study, a major step toward creating San Benito County’s first purpose-built home for community arts, culture and live events, says a press release from Pinnacle Arts.  The study—led by nationally recognized...

The Hollister Police Department will conduct a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Sunday night, starting at 6pm and continuing until 1:30am Dec. 15. The checkpoint will take place at an undisclosed location within the city limits.  In recent years, California has seen an increase...

The 35th annual Red Ribbon Run and Festival brought hundreds of people to downtown Hollister Oct. 18 to help raise awareness of substance abuse prevention and education in San Benito County.  The event’s signature 3k Fun Run started at 8am at the Veterans Memorial Building...

Central California Alliance for Health this week announced the launch of TotalCare, a Medicare Advantage plan that is also a dual-eligible special needs plan. The plan offers all-in-one care for those eligible for Medi-Cal and Medicare, and is available for people in San Benito,...

The owner of a 23-acre property on Highway 101—where the Betabel Commercial Development proposal has been the subject of an environmental study and lawsuit—recently filed an application to change plans to allow hundreds of new homes.  Property owner McDowell Family Trust and architect Henry Ruhnke...