Economy

The famed Hollister Fourth of July motorcycle rally may not be happening this year, but it might return for 2023 if the voters say so in this November’s election. The Hollister City Council narrowly voted earlier this month to place an advisory measure on the...

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...

In a step toward building the first massive wind farms off California’s coast, three Assemblymembers on Feb. 12 proposed a $1 billion bond act to help pay for the expansion of ports. The bill, if approved, would place a bond before voters aimed at helping...

Etheric Networks, a provider of fiber and wireless internet service in the Bay Area, on June 13 announced that its newest project in San Juan Bautista is nearing completion. The expansion brings “significant new internet options to hundreds of businesses and homes in town,...

The San Benito County Arts Council, Arts Council for Monterey County, Arts Council Santa Cruz County, San Luis Obispo County Arts Council, Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture and the Ventura County Arts Council announced that the Central Coast Region has been...

San Benito County Public Health officials are reporting that the county is gearing up for a detour on the road to a safer economy as the number of new daily cases of Covid-19 continues to rise at a rapid pace. County interim Public Health Officer...

The latest weather forecast for Hollister might not include sunny skies, but some relief from the heavy downpours that have been characteristic of recent storms over South Valley might be on the way.  After the latest atmospheric river on Jan. 10 cleared the region there...

Highway 25 project gains federal funds The California Transportation Commission (CTC) last week allocated nearly $3 billion for projects to repair and improve transportation infrastructure throughout the state.  The allocation includes $8.9 million in funds from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021...

The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band last week announced that it has filed a lawsuit against San Benito County to halt development of a new commercial project on Betabel Road, which sits on property that “holds significant historical, cultural and religious value” to the tribe.  The...

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....