Economy

California is in a budget hole, its depth measured not in feet, but in dollars. How deep? A projected $38 billion deficit, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said Jan. 10 he will declare a fiscal emergency when necessary and unveiled his initial plan to...

California workers will be guaranteed five paid sick days a year starting Jan. 1, up from the three days that employers are currently required to provide, thanks to Senate Bill 616.  The bill, authored by Long Beach Democratic Sen. Lena Gonzalez, also extends protections against...

Food insecurity in California ticked upward over the past year, bringing the share of hardship back up to levels early in the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data released by the California Association of Food Banks on Dec. 12. “Families are buying less food,” said May...

It’s hard to find a job fighting climate change, oddly. But the organic farming industry is one place where a person can make a living making a difference.  Food systems account for 20% to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to data from the...

California’s water storage and delivery systems are in good shape heading into the rainy season, having benefited from last year’s near-historic rain and snowfall totals, according to the state’s top water managers.  Coming off three years of punishing drought conditions, last year was the sixth...

Police to conduct DUI checkpoint The Hollister Police Department will be conducting a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint starting at 6pm Sept. 16 at a location within the city limits. The checkpoint will last until 2am Sept. 17, according to Hollister Police.  Officers at the checkpoint...

The Hollister City Council voted last week to put a proposed occupancy tax increase on the ballot for the November 2024 general election. If passed, this would be the first time since 1986 that voters will  decide to increase the tax on hotel stays...

The San Benito County Planning Commission held a scoping meeting Aug. 2 for the proposed Ranch 35 Quarry project near the intersection of State Route 156 and U.S. 101. The meeting’s purpose was to inform the public about the scope of the quarry project...

Watkins graduates from Shenandoah University Branden Watkins, of Hollister, was among the 1,143 students who graduated from Shenandoah University during the 2022-23 academic year. Watkins earned a Post-Graduate Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery. Shenandoah University was established in 1875, and is headquartered in Winchester, Virginia, with additional educational...

Nearly two decades after Gavilan College purchased property for a new San Benito County campus, officials held a groundbreaking ceremony June 16 at the Fairview Road site.  Plans for the new local community college campus site, which is located at the intersection of Highway 25,...