Health

Did you know that putting batteries in your trash and recycling containers can, and does cause fires in trucks and facilities that endanger workers and damage expensive equipment? In California, it is illegal to put batteries in the trash or recycling. Instead, they must...

PG&E is encouraging customers around the Bay Area to prepare for excessive heat on Friday that could contribute to power outages.  PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said in an email that this could be an “all-hands on deck event,” and said crews will be out and...

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital is hoping to secure state funding so it can complete a mandatory seismic upgrade by 2030, according to hospital staff. Such a project is expected to cost the Hollister hospital at least $250 million. Senate Bill 1953, known as the Hospital...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its approval Monday of the first non-prescription at-home Covid-19 test that also detects the flu.  The test allows users to swab the inside of their nose and send the sample to the test's manufacturer, Labcorp, for analysis. In...

With the Bay Area currently showing the highest Covid-19 infection rates in California, health officers are reminding people of the importance of safety precautions such as continued masking indoors and vaccine boosters. The current wave of infections is fueled by the highly contagious Omicron subvariants,...

San Benito County invites the community to celebrate Earth Day this Saturday with environmental education and recycling programs, awards and interactive activities for people of all ages. The festivities will take place 1-4pm April 23 at Carl Martin Luck City Library and Park in San...

For San Juan Bautista resident Refugio “Cuco” Chavez, the first day of spring doesn’t just mean he gets to spend more time in his home garden over the coming months. It is also the wedding anniversary of he and his wife, Esparanza “Espie” Chavez. The...

San Benito Agricultural Land Trust (SBALT) announced Feb. 25 that it achieved national recognition through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. It joins more than 450 land trusts across the nation to receive the honor. “Accreditation demonstrates SBALT’s commitment to local agriculture and open space through permanent...

California will lift its indoor mask requirements Tuesday for unvaccinated people and March 12 for schools and child care facilities, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Feb. 28. The changes will mark the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began that both unvaccinated people and students will...

Covid-19 hospitalizations among California's children—especially those too young to go to school—are the highest they have been since the pandemic began. Chalk it up to the highly contagious omicron variant, kids exposed during in-person instruction at school and other public places, and infants and preschoolers...