Local News

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...

When the first three staff members initially stepped foot on the new Rancho Santana School campus back in March following its construction, they pondered a simple question:  “Where do we start?” recalled Rancho Santana School Principal Anissa Dizon.  Fast forward to now, and the newest Hollister...

Low-income Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal have been vaccinated at far lower rates than the overall population in all 58 counties, according to state data. The disparity reveals a strong economic divide between the vaccinated and unvaccinated throughout California. About 45% of Medi-Cal enrollees eligible for the...

The Hollister Firefighters Local 3395 enjoyed a warm, sunny day Sept. 9 for the public safety union’s second annual fundraising golf tournament at Ridgemark Golf Club.   A total of 108 golfers played in the 2022 tournament, according to Taylor Siemann, Hollister Fire Engineer and Local...

UC Santa Cruz recently acquired and established the Strathearn Ranch Natural Reserve, a 2,400-acre oak-studded grassland property in San Benito County that will be used for field research and outdoor education for the university’s students, staff and researchers.  The UC Board of Regents approved the...

When the children of Disney’s most notorious villains get a chance at redemption, romance blooms between sworn enemies in South Valley Civic Theatre’s production of “Disney’s Descendants, The Musical,” opening Oct. 3 at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse. The ambitious production features a “record” 120...

Caltrans District 5 completes Active Transportation Plan The Caltrans District 5 Active Transportation Plan, which includes San Benito County, has been completed. The plan was developed with partner agencies, advocates and members of the public. It includes a list of bicycle and pedestrian needs for travel...

A $450,000 grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation will support ongoing efforts to bring more housing to San Benito County and the Monterey Bay Region.  The grant was recently awarded to the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, which cites housing as one of its...

Art, landscaping to beautify Highway 25 As part of Clean California, a state beautification project to upgrade a 1.6-mile section of State Route 25 with new planting and transportation art is underway, Caltrans officials announced last week. The $1 million project was approved as part of...

When it comes to performing on a video conferencing software, there is no one to hide behind—just the actor and their screen. Such is the new challenge a cast of 13 faces when San Benito Stage Company presents its first-ever virtual production, “Bad Auditions…On Camera,”...