Economy

Citing the impact of across-the-board rising prices and economic uncertainties, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors declined to ask the voters for a 1% sales tax in the November election. And despite their ongoing search for more local revenues to fund public services, the...

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...

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...

Construction on the Highway 156 Corridor Improvement Project will continue with large-scale earthwork moving, according to a project update from the California Department of Transportation. The upcoming work will be focused east of Mission Vineyard Road and continuing toward Union Road.  Crews are stabilizing the...

The San Benito County Resource Management Agency recently shared the “excellent” news that it has received a $2.4 million grant from the state to help build the new Riverview Regional Park. The funds were awarded on Aug. 22 by the California State Regional Park Program,...

The new Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel, developed by Lotus Management, Inc., opened near the intersection of Highways 25 and 156 in Hollister last week.  The 93-room hotel, which shares a border with Santa Clara County, currently employs about 20 people, says a press...

Special to the Free Lance San Benito County officials and property owners continue to seek more funding to provide more services for local homeless people, and to reduce the unhoused population.  The San Benito County Board of Supervisors discussed some of the possibilities when they met...

Google and Coursera on March 9 announced a partnership with the local council of the League of United Latin American Citizens to bring more high-tech job training and careers to San Benito County. The San Benito County LULAC Council 2890 has been chosen as one...

San Benito County’s homeless population has increased by 26%–or 75 people–since 2019. Much of this increase is reportedly linked to ongoing challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and county officials say there would be even more homeless residents without the availability of local resources.  Volunteers...

The developer of the Santana Ranch neighborhood recently gained permission to build more homes off Fairview Road, even though the embattled project is behind on its affordable housing requirements spelled out in a nearly 11-year-old agreement with the county. The San Benito County Board of...