Alliance launches TotalCare all-in-one health plan
Central California Alliance for Health this week announced the launch of TotalCare, a Medicare Advantage plan that is also a dual-eligible special needs plan. The plan offers all-in-one care for those eligible for Medi-Cal and Medicare, and is available for people in San Benito,...
Conservation groups buy 668 acres of South Valley farmland
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....
Hazel Hawkins raises the bar for maternal, emergency care
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital is celebrating a year of meaningful progress in quality and safety. The Obstetrics (OB) team earned three 2025 Quality and Engagement Awards from the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC), while the Emergency Department completed BETA Healthcare Group’s Quest for...
County supes OK full audit following library embezzlement scandal
San Benito County will conduct a full audit of the public library after two former employees were convicted of embezzling more than $360,000 from the county.
Former library staff members Erin Baxter and Mary Alvarez were recently convicted of embezzling about $360,755 of library funds...
Hospital plans to expand women’s health services
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital announced recently it will expand its service line of women’s health services by introducing new physicians to support care in San Benito County.
Dr. James Lilja recently joined the HHMH medical staff, adding the specialized field of gynecologic oncology to the...
Statewide cleanup effort includes inaugural ‘Trashure Hunt’
California Coastal Cleanup Day will celebrate its 41st year this September with its first ever “Trashure Hunt,” offering participants the chance to win a variety of prizes by volunteering to pick up litter and garbage at hundreds of locations across the state, organizers announced...
Insight Health withdraws from negotiations to lease, purchase Hazel Hawkins
The San Benito Health Care District announced Aug. 13 that Insight Health is stepping away from negotiations on a proposed lease-to-purchase agreement for Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, citing unprecedented uncertainty stemming from the recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
The federal legislation will...
Weekly market offers fresh, local produce
Every Saturday, scores of people make the drive to Pinnacle Farms market in San Juan Bautista to buy fresh, organically grown produce.
Owners Phil and Katherine Foster began farming in San Benito County in 1968. Today they grow certified organic fruit and vegetables on 295...
South Valley mothers fight against fentanyl
Three mothers from California's South Valley have turned their grief into advocacy after losing their teenage sons to fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills.
Gilroy residents Geralyn Vasquez, Lisa Marquez and Stephanie Carrasco each lost sons between ages 17 and 21 to what the young men believed were...
San Benito County cleans up homeless riverbed encampments
Local authorities this week began cleaning up homeless encampments in the San Benito River bed in an ongoing effort to remove hazardous materials and direct unhoused people to services and more stable shelter.
San Benito County is leading the effort in partnership with the City...
