Local News

San Benito County public health officials will soon begin mailing notices to local Medi-Cal members to let them know that they are no longer guaranteed continuous coverage under pandemic-era waivers, and will resume the normal process to redetermine eligibility for the state’s public health...

The San Benito County Arts Council is joining arts organizations throughout the region to implement the California Arts Council’s Creative Economies in Action initiative.  The effort will begin with a statewide engagement tour and public town hall in January, says a press release from the...

Watsonville Police on June 10 rounded up nearly 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks after they uncovered a group of people, including a teenager, suspected of selling dangerous fireworks in Watsonville and across Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties.  Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said...

The Hollister Police Department as well as the local office of the California Highway Patrol will each conduct DUI checkpoints at different locations in South Valley the evening of May 19, according to authorities.  Hollister Police announced this week that officers will hold a checkpoint...

Watsonville Police collect evidence Wednesday morning on Riverside Drive where a man crashed a stolen Honda sedan into a building following a pursuit that started in Aromas. According to police radio traffic, San Benito County Sheriff's deputies called for assistance from Watsonville Police as...

A new initiative to put land use decisions in the hands of San Benito County residents is currently circulating, the latest political effort by slow-growth advocates in the area. The Empower Voters to Make Land Use Decisions Initiative would amend the county’s General Plan to...

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...

Hollister SD supe on medical leave Hollister School District Superintendent Erika Sanchez has requested a temporary medical leave of absence during the 2024-2025 school year, which the Board of Trustees has approved, says a press release from the district.  The board expressed its thanks to Sanchez...

San Benito High School junior Yvette Fragozo made it to the quarterfinals of the television show “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento” on Estrella TV.  The next stage of the competition is on hold during the shelter-in-place order due to the Covid-19 pandemic but the show will...

Fully vaccinated workers will no longer be required to wear a mask regardless of whether their co-workers are unvaccinated following new guidance Thursday from the state's workplace safety agency. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health's Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted to...