Economy

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...

Binu Abraham was recently hired as the Executive Director for the Council of San Benito County Governments (COG). Abraham was previously the Principal Analyst: Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Community Strategies Project Manager for the Sacramento COG, says a press release from the local COG.  The San Benito...

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital employees received notices this week indicating the Hollister hospital could close as soon as February 2023, according to HHMH administrators.  The hospital’s issuing of Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications (WARN) to its employees follows a string of unfortunate financial announcements from...

Santa Clara County planning officials have released the draft Environmental Impact Report for the 403-acre Sargent Ranch quarry project that is proposed south of Gilroy. The public comment period on the EIR began July 25 and will continue until Sept. 26, according to county staff. Representatives...

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...

Since 1942, sailors assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Construction Force have been building and fighting around the world. Petty Officer 2nd Class Adon Olivares, a Hollister native, is one of those sailors. “My grandfather served in the Army and my dad also served, so I...

The San Benito County Arts Council, along with local artists, community members and representatives from California Department of Transportation, recently selected three artists through a statewide call-for-artists to create and install new public artworks for two Clean California Projects in San Benito County.  The first...

San Benito County and its elected board of supervisors violated state environmental protection laws when they approved a conditional use permit for the Betabel commercial project proposed next to Highway 101, according to a lawsuit filed last week by two nonprofit organizations.  The lawsuit—filed Dec....

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,...

San Benito County and global architecture firm CallisonRTKL are promoting the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units on local properties, according to the county’s Resource Management Agency.  As part of this effort, the county and CallisonRTKL have produced and released pre-approved ADU plans that residents and...