Local News

San Benito County is preparing to move into Phase 3 of the state’s roadmap to reopening business and other public activities.  Industries that could reopen, in county’s with a local variance, include nail salons, tattoo shops, gyms and fitness centers, libraries, indoor and children’s museums,...

Wildfires and climate change are locked in a vicious circle: Fires worsen climate change, and climate change worsens fires. Scientists, including those at the World Resources Institute, have been increasingly sounding the alarm about this feedback loop, warning that fires don’t burn in isolation—they produce...

Austin Curtis, who has worked at the San Benito County Free Library for about 18 months, was named this week as the library’s new librarian.  Before starting his work with the local library, located at 470 Fifth Street in Hollister, Curtis worked about 18 months...

Clean CA art show opens April 1 The San Benito County Arts Council, Caltrans and the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista will host the Clean California Art Show opening party from 6-7:30pm April 1 at the Art Depot in downtown Hollister.  The exhibition includes...

A swipe of a library card is enough for Californians to venture into the great outdoors for free. On Jan. 31, California State Parks representatives encouraged Californians to take advantage of multiple ways to visit state parks for free, including utilizing the California State Parks...

During a sweep of registered sex offenders last week, San Benito County authorities determined that 13 people were out of compliance with their registration requirements. The county’s probation department conducted its annual sex offender registration compliance sweep on Oct. 26. Officers from the Hollister Police...

Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance), the Medi-Cal managed care health plan for more than 428,000 residents in Merced, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, will soon serve the counties of Mariposa and San Benito, according to a press release.  Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the...

The Bureau of Land Management Central Coast Field Office is easing seasonal fire restrictions as of Nov. 19 for about 300,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands in Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and...

State authorities last week certified San Benito County’s latest housing element—more than six months after it was initially submitted, finally unlocking millions of dollars worth of grants that can be used for local infrastructure and services, according to county officials.  Staff from the California Department...

Operators of the Gilroy Gardens and the Garlic Festival Association have been busy working together to finalize details for the 2025 Garlic Festival—which is returning this summer after a five-year absence.  Tickets for the event will go on sale 12pm May 31on the association’s website.  On...