All four lanes of new Highway 156 corridor open June 13
In what transportation officials and local representatives hail as a “major milestone,” all four lanes of the new San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project will open to all traffic on June 13.
Caltrans District 5 hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 7, in which...
Gilroy Garlic Festival tickets for South Valley locals go on sale Sunday
Tickets go on sale April 19—for local residents only—for the 2026 Gilroy Garlic Festival. The exclusive first release of tickets is reserved for residents who live in Gilroy and within a 20-mile radius, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced on April 14.
The residents-only sale...
Balers graduate Julia Hicks is a CCS champion
As Julia Hicks heard the final results in the discus throw confirming she was a Central Coast Section champion, she received a hug from her event coach, Bob Rawles, who told the recent San Benito HIgh graduate he was beaming with pride in her...
Hollister Police: Click it or ticket
The Hollister police Department sent a press release May 18 reminding travelers to always buckle up and secure children in the right car seats when visiting friends and family.
This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign runs from May 18-31, Hollister Police said. During this...
Lightning triggers four wildfires across three counties
Lightning caused four small wildfires in Santa Clara, Monterey and San Benito counties as thunderstorms rumbled across the area Sept. 9, the National Weather Service said.
A fire in Santa Clara County charred about one acre west of Coyote Creek, the weather service said. A...
CHP ramps up motorcycle traffic safety
In an effort to reduce the number of motorcycle crashes, the California Highway Patrol Hollister-Gilroy Area will deploy additional officers July 4-5, within south Santa Clara and San Benito counties. Officers will look for violations by both motorcycle riders and drivers that make roads...
New law gives tenants more time to respond to eviction notices
Tenants in California will have twice as much time to respond to eviction notices and potentially avoid losing their homes under a bill signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 24.
The new law comes amid a statewide housing crisis, and after a...
Strada Verde measure loses by 5,000-plus
With just less than 1,100 ballots left to count, San Benito County’s Measure N appears headed for failure by the same proportion reported in early results after Nov. 3.
Strada Verde developer asks county to halt environmental study
San Benito County officials clarified late last week that the developer of the proposed Strada Verde Innovation Park—which was the subject of a failed November 2020 ballot initiative—has asked the county to pause its work on the project’s application.
“As a result, work on the...
County gains state funding for homeless
San Benito County will receive $2.4 million in state funds to purchase factory-built homes for chronically homeless people, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced earlier this month.
The funds come from the California Homekey program, and will help the county buy a total of 11 prefabricated homes,...


















