Economy

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...

Hollister and San Benito County kicked off the winter holiday season this past weekend with the annual downtown Lights On Parade and celebration. The events on Saturday, Nov. 26 started early in the morning with the Holiday Car Display, an afternoon holiday boutique that lasted...

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...

Emergency public safety responders rescued nearly two dozen people and 16 animals from their homes in northern San Benito County as pouring rains and rising floodwaters engulfed homes, streets and properties Jan. 9, according to authorities.  A total of 23 people were rescued from Lovers...

San Benito County elections officials have a total of 617 ballots left to count in the Nov. 8 election as of Monday morning. The vast majority of the uncounted ballots—498 mailed ballots—are considered “challenged,” and the voters who submitted them have until 5pm Nov. 23...

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...

After a peer assessment that found night kennel services ineffective, the City of Hollister will close the local animal shelter’s night kennels as of Dec. 30, according to authorities.  The Hollister Animal Shelter earlier this year was awarded a $14,000 grant from Best Friends Animal...

The San Juan Bautista Art & Craft Festival returned to the streets of the San Benito County town last weekend for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic started, bringing crowds of all ages and enthusiastic vendors. The festival, which took place March 26 and...

Local registered nurses and the board of directors of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital agreed to a new contract that “includes victories for patients and nurses,” according to the medical employees’ union. Nurses represented by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United ratified the four-year contract on...

The San Benito County Office of Emergency Services has been verbally notified by federal authorities that the county is eligible for public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency due to recent winter storm damages.  The amount of FEMA funding available to the local office...