Health

To help customers prepare their gas appliances for safe use during the cold months ahead, Pacific Gas and Electric Company is offering free in-home gas safety checks, the utility company said in a press release. During the gas safety checks, PG&E also will re-light...

The State Coastal Conservancy earlier this summer approved $758,000 to fund a San Benito Wildfire Regional Prioritization Plan, says a press release from the University of California Cooperative Extension.  Widespread collaboration across the county, as well as in neighboring counties, will result in a plan...

Earlier this month the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer and Modern bivalent vaccine (“two strain”) boosters for everyone aged 12 and older, following completion of their primary series at least two months earlier, regardless of vaccine product used, according to a...

Registered nurses at Hollister’s Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital are “deeply concerned” about the medical facility’s recent declaration of a fiscal emergency and potential bankruptcy, says a statement from the California Nurses Association.  The nurses fear what a Chapter 9 bankruptcy at HHMH would mean for...

The San Benito Health Care District this week announced the next steps in the ongoing process to finalize the lease-to-own transaction between Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital and Insight. While progress has been made, there is still crucial work ahead to complete the transaction. In...

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital announced that it has achieved the “highly prestigious international Baby-Friendly designation after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA, the organization responsible for bestowing this certification in the United States,” says a press release from the Hollister hospital. The honor...

With the help of a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, Hollister Police this winter plan to take action to deter unsafe driving and increase safety on local roads.  The $70,000 grant will allow the Hollister Police Department to increase patrols throughout the...

UC Santa Cruz recently acquired and established the Strathearn Ranch Natural Reserve, a 2,400-acre oak-studded grassland property in San Benito County that will be used for field research and outdoor education for the university’s students, staff and researchers.  The UC Board of Regents approved the...

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved amendments to the county’s affordable housing ordinance, which include a requirement for future housing developments within 10 miles of an incorporated city to offer affordable units.  The board voted 5-0 this week to approve the amendments based...

Three connected agricultural properties straddling the border of San Benito and Santa Clara counties were recently purchased by conservation organizations, ensuring the lands totaling more than 600 acres will remain an active link in a vital regional ecosystem.  The Peninsula Open Space Trust on Oct....