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All lanes are now open at the new “turbo roundabout” intersection at Highways 25 and 156 in San Benito County. The California Department of Transportation released a how-to video on Youtube—in both English and Spanish—advising travelers how to approach and navigate the new intersection,...

San Benito County Public Health officials are reporting a new single-day case record of Covid-19 infections, surpassing the century mark for the first time since the pandemic began in March. As of Dec. 16, the county’s Covid-19 dashboard shows that there are currently 445 active...

Faced with a threat of litigation and pushback from surrounding business owners, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors on July 27 rejected a homeless camping site proposed for Flynn Road. The supervisors voted 3-0 to direct county staff to focus on longer-term proposals for...

Eric Cryar, Hugo Del Moral and Robert Basuino are the Gilroy police officers hailed as heroes for shooting and killing the gunman who murdered three people and injured more than a dozen others at the Gilroy Garlic Festival July 28. Police Chief Scot Smithee named...

The death of a bucking horse that suffered a broken neck during a performance at the Gilroy Rodeo Aug. 8 has raised questions about animal safety protocols and injury reporting requirements.  The mare, known as +H6 Cow Palace, fell while bucking and broke her neck,...

A swipe of a library card is enough for Californians to venture into the great outdoors for free. On Jan. 31, California State Parks representatives encouraged Californians to take advantage of multiple ways to visit state parks for free, including utilizing the California State Parks...

Jason Hopkins, a candidate in Trustee Area 7 for the Gavilan Community College Joint District Board of Trustees, has withdrawn from the race, citing “personal and health reasons.” Hopkins, however, will still appear on the Nov. 6 ballot and told the Free Lance that he...

Author reflects on iconic moment, upcoming local performances Every August, I reminisce about my adventurous week at the legendary Woodstock Music & Art Fair, now 56 years ago. I think about the heat and humidity and the smell of patchouli oil, incense, cow manure and...

Gov. Gavin Newsom this week announced the appointment of Hollister resident Patrick K. Palacios, 57, to serve as San Benito Superior Court Judge. Palacios has served as a Commissioner of the San Benito County Superior Court since 2020, says a press release from San Benito...

The Hollister School District has announced that four schools no longer have targeted support designations from the state due to significant progress with student outcomes, while another site also now has an improved label attached to it after taking steps forward.  R.O. Hardin Elementary School,...