Hollister City Council rescinds layoff notices
The Hollister City Council voted in closed session on Oct. 21 to fire City Manager Ana Cortez, who has been the subject of increasing criticism for her approach to cutting costs and issuing layoff notices to dozens of city employees in recent weeks.
All 36...
Everyone participates in rodeo fun at Hollister High
Classmates from Hollister High School’s FFA and Life Skills special education programs joined together Oct. 22 for the 10th annual Baler Buckaroo Rodeo—a welcoming and inclusive event that gives students of all abilities a chance to participate and learn together.
The Baler Buckaroo was organized...
Elections department identifies error on Nov. 3 San Benito County ballot
San Benito County Elections officials said they have found “a minor clerical error” on the Spanish page count of the Nov. 3 ballot.
On the ballots that were printed and delivered to registered voters, the fifth page is labeled as “página 6 de 6” (Page...
Q&A with Jennifer Laine, Executive Director of the San Benito County Arts Council
This story was provided courtesy of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership.
The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership presented the following Q&A with San Benito County Arts Council Executive Director Jennifer Laine. MBEP recently celebrated the region’s arts industry with the Oct. 22 Creative Economy Summit in...
More details emerge about Oct. 17 stabbing, carjacking, self-harm incident
Hollister Police offered more details last week about an Oct. 17 incident in which a woman who stabbed her partner before carjacking two victims. The woman ultimately fled into San Jose, where she died of self-inflicted stab wounds, according to authorities.
New details from the...
Hollister Council fires City Manager Ana Cortez
The Hollister City Council voted in closed session on Oct. 21 to fire City Manager Ana Cortez, who has been the subject of increasing criticism for her approach to cutting costs and issuing layoff notices to dozens of city employees in recent weeks.
After the...
Survey shows 57% drop in San Benito County homelessness
The 2026 Point-in-Time Count of unhoused residents identified 267 people experiencing homeless in San Benito Couty—a 57% decrease from the 621 counted in 2024, according to the Coalition of Homeless Services Providers (CHSP).
Officials from the CHSP conducted the count in partnership with the county,...
Authorities charge Turlock man in killing of Javier Becerril Jr.
Police arrested a Turlock man for the killing of Javier Becerril Jr., the Hollister resident who was found dead in the trunk of a Tesla July 9 on Highway 152 in Merced County.
Manual Salceda, 39, was arrested Oct. 11 following a three-month investigation into...
Hollister woman assaulted spouse, caused collision before stabbing herself
A Hollister woman stabbed her spouse Oct. 17 before recklessly driving the wrong way on a busy highway, left the scene of an accident before carjacking another victim, and continued to lead police up the valley to San Jose where she died after repeatedly...
Hollister City Council begins process of giving jobs back to 36 employees who received layoff notices
The Hollister City Council emerged from a late-night closed session Oct. 19 without City Manager Ana Cortez, and with a unanimous vote to ask dozens of city employees back to the negotiating table after Cortez gave layoff notices to them last week.
The council approved...
