Local News

The San Benito County Office of Education's Annual STEAM Expo took place March 16, featuring more than 290 students who entered science and STEAM projects in six different categories.  The Overall Science Project Award winner was Kendyl Gamble, of Aromas Elementary School, says a press...

San Benito County has about $80,000 available for grants through the Microbusiness Covid-19 Relief Program. The grants are intended to aid very small businesses that have been adversely impacted by the pandemic, according to county staff.  The county board of supervisor accepted the funds from...

Special to the Free Lance The Hollister School Board of Trustees voted to lay off an additional 26 employees on March 10.  Although the board met on March 3 and made the decision to lay off 33 staff members, Superintendent Erika Sanchez showed in her budget...

City of Hollister and San Benito County officials are taking steps to speed up the repair and upgrades of local deteriorating roadways by allocating large sums of money for the efforts. The Hollister City Council on March 21 approved the sale of $20 million in...

Special to the Free Lance The Hollister City Council on March 11 stood in unison on the Ukrainian flag being flown at city hall. The council held a special meeting to discuss the possibility of flying the flag in response to the invasion of Ukraine by...

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...

For San Benito High swimming coaches Eric Taylor and Chelsea Marquez, the joy in coaching comes in seeing their athletes improve, learn life lessons and have fun in the process.  To that end, Marquez and Taylor are thoroughly enjoying their time working together as the...

Local elementary and high schools will receive nearly $450,000 in federal funds to help improve internet connectivity and learning opportunities for students at home, according to Congressman Jimmy Panetta’s office. The funds are part of a $14.9 million package for the 20th U.S. Congressional District,...

Two Salinas residents died over the weekend in a head-on crash on State Route 156 near Hollister, according to the California Highway Patrol. The collision was reported about 10:45pm March 19, on route 156 near Flint Road. A 71-year-old man driving a Honda Accord in the...

With one swing of the bat, Brittnee Rossi let out weeks of frustration with an emphatic stomp of home plate.  Rossi, a 2017 San Benito High graduate and University of Hawaii senior center fielder, homered against Cal in a March 12 tournament game and immediately...