Local News

Theater lovers, brace yourselves for an electrifying and unprecedented event as the San Benito Stage Company is set to push the boundaries of live performance with its first-ever 24-hour play, on stage for one night only on Feb. 22.  In a bold experiment in creativity...

The San Benito Health Care District (SBHCD) convened for a special meeting Aug. 7 to discuss the Letter of Intent sent by American Advanced Management (AAM) to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital (HHMH) CEO Mary Casillas. The letter outlined AAM’s intent to enter into a...

Health officers of four Central Coast counties—including San Benito—issued a joint statement again recommending that residents wear masks indoors at public places, regardless of vaccination status “out of an abundance of caution,” says the statement. The recommendation comes as local reports of the highly infectious...

A big rig carrying 40,000 pounds of printer paper toppled into a ravine on Highway 152 (Hecker Pass) just after 9am May 6.  The California Highway Patrol said the male driver, who suffered minor injuries, was traveling from Los Angeles to Watsonville for the PTS,...

San Benito High School senior Ashley Maggiora will continue her field hockey career at the collegiate level, but she’ll be doing it from all the way across the country.   The school announced Nov. 30 that Maggiora signed a letter of intent to play at Sweet...

Over the coming weeks, the Hollister Free Lance will profile candidates for local City of Hollister and San Benito County offices that will appear on the Nov. 3 election.

As of Dec. 5, flu tests are available at OptumServe sites in San Benito County—along with PCR and rapid antigen tests for Covid-19, according to county authorities.  The flu and Covid-19 are currently on the rise as a surge of both viruses grips the county,...

These family members from Texas, Alaska and San Jose traveled through San Juan Bautista this week in an effort to get a closer look at the historic town’s mission.  Renita Brien, of San Jose; Joann Szymanski, of Texas; Ruth Evans, of Alaska; and Bobby Szymanski,...

San Benito County has begun much-needed improvements to a deteriorating, heavily traveled stretch of Union Road around the southwest side of Hollister.  County officials this week advised motorists that later stages of construction will require intermittent lane closures and commute delays.  Work on the roughly $2.4...

In the context of a high school sports season, rarely is a league championship and Central Coast Section playoff berth decided on the final day of the regular-season between the very two teams that are in contention for them. But that’s exactly the situation the...