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The Hollister City Council this week appointed Ana Cortez as the new city manager, following a three-month search for a new staff leader at City Hall. Cortez will begin her new position in Hollister on Feb. 2, with an annual base salary of $265,000. She...

Halloween, where yards become planted in gravestones and ghosts and offices appear cobwebbed and spidery to make scary fun… Children love to transform into monsters with big mouths and sharply pointed teeth to scare everyone.   Scary Halloween is enjoyable because it is all in fun....

Mattie Scariot, Director of the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, said she was thrilled to announce the appointment of Jon Fitzgerald and Tasja Kirkwood to the PJIFF Board of Directors during a milestone year—its 20th anniversary. Their appointments bring an exciting blend of industry...

In a fast-paced world often defined by digital interactions and fragmented routines, community festivals and local events serve as powerful reminders of what truly binds us together: shared experiences, cultural expression and human connection.  These gatherings, whether a neighborhood block party, a cultural celebration or...

Last week the smaller print piece in the Free Lance side bar labeled “Local Scene” got my attention. The title “State to study cancer risk of fighting wildfires” had me opening the paper focused on further information. Everyone is interested in cancer risk.   Our surrounding...

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital welcomed the first baby of the New Year on Jan. 1. Baby girl Namina was born at 10:25am at the Hollister hospital, weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and measuring 20 inches long.  Namina’s proud parents are Evelyn Rivera and Kalisto Alik,...

Two South Valley communities this week received federal funds for road safety improvements, says an announcement from Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s office. A total of $8,634,928 was awarded to California’s 18th Congressional district from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)...

California Coastal Cleanup Day will celebrate its 41st year this September with its first ever “Trashure Hunt,” offering participants the chance to win a variety of prizes by volunteering to pick up litter and garbage at hundreds of locations across the state, organizers announced...

When the children of Disney’s most notorious villains get a chance at redemption, romance blooms between sworn enemies in South Valley Civic Theatre’s production of “Disney’s Descendants, The Musical,” opening Oct. 3 at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse. The ambitious production features a “record” 120...

Millions of people across the U.S. gathered in thousands of cities Oct. 18 to protest the Donald Trump Administration. Known nationwide as the “No Kings” protest, demonstrators included hundreds in San Juan Bautista and Hollister. Local protesters displayed handmade signs criticizing the Trump Administration’s...