Local News

Earth Day takes place on April 22 but a group of local eco-conscious citizens got to work early last week by cleaning parts of Hollister that have been ignored for quite some time.   Latiana Lillywhite of Hollister was one of 250 volunteers that picked up...

New security measures at Andy Hardin Stadium went into effect for the Oct. 14 Hollister High School football game, which proceeded without any major public safety disturbances in the crowd, according to school and law enforcement officials. Hollister High School and San Benito High School...

A law that classifies human trafficking of a minor for the purposes of a commercial sex act as a “serious felony” took effect Jan. 1, less than six months after debate around the bill roiled the Capitol.  Under current law, human trafficking of a minor...

San Benito County Public Health officials’ Feb. 16 Covid-19 update shows the daily case rate and test positivity rate continue to decline locally. The county’s Covid-19 dashboard shows there have been 5,569 confirmed cases and currently 99 active cases. The local death count remains at...

Longtime Hollister resident Larry Slonaker recently published his new novel, “Nothing Got Broke,” a murder mystery that is partly inspired by his upbringing and his previous career as a Bay Area newspaper journalist. The book’s plotline follows a “cat and mouse” conflict between two characters—one...

The interior Bay Area and Central Coast are under an excessive heat warning from Saturday morning to Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service. Highs of up to 110 degrees are expected in inland areas including Santa Rosa, Concord, Livermore and Gilroy. Coastal regions...

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...

Today we’re going to talk about money, money, money—or more precisely, government stimulus payments. Several rounds of federal and state payments directed at individuals in 2020 and 2021 were intended to help people cope with the pandemic’s shock to the economy. Each of them has different...

Hollister Municipal Airport is set to become a testing ground for zero-emission aircraft—and perhaps even a hub for hydrogen-electric power research—as an international technology company recently announced its new 19-seat aircraft will be based at the local facility.  ZeroAvia has received its second twin-engine Dornier...

This past year has been a flurry of events, milestones, changes, victories and losses that shaped San Benito County. And as the region continues to face the challenges and embrace the hopes related to ongoing growth, 2026 promises to keep local communities moving and...