Local News

With the addition of two donated communication boards on playgrounds at Ladd Lane Elementary School, students with special needs will have an easier time expressing their thoughts to staff members and peers.  One of the boards—for TK through first-grade students—arrived in early November with the...

Thousands of motorcyclists, enthusiasts and curious onlookers packed downtown July 4 and 5 for the Independence Rally that roared into downtown Hollister, bringing with it a major boost to businesses and very few problems.  Several business owners said they saw their best weekend in years. Cosmos...

Thousands of households in San Benito County who have received extra CalFresh benefits due to pandemic-related hardships will see a reduction in their monthly allotments as of April 1, according to authorities.  During the Covid-19 pandemic, households receiving CalFresh benefits received temporary emergency allotments or...

Hollister Police are investigating two shootings that occurred in the downtown area March 5, according to authorities. No injuries or significant property damage were reported in either shooting, and police are still looking for the suspects, says a Facebook post from the Hollister Police Department. The...

For San Juan Bautista resident Refugio “Cuco” Chavez, the first day of spring doesn’t just mean he gets to spend more time in his home garden over the coming months. It is also the wedding anniversary of he and his wife, Esparanza “Espie” Chavez. The...

San Benito County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Cedeno began his new role as the Spring Grove School Resource Officer on Aug. 11. The position consists primarily of security and education, and not disciplinary action, according to the sheriff’s office. After the May 24 mass shooting in...

Hollister councilwoman Carol Lenoir announced earlier this week that she tested positive for Covid-19, adding her to the list of surging cases within San Benito County. She said in an email to the Hollister Free Lance on July 7 confirming she contracted the virus.

Cal Fire has suspended all burn permits in Monterey and San Benito counties effective Sept. 1, due to drought and dangerous fire conditions. In a news release issued Monday, Cal Fire officials said 88% of the state is in extreme or exceptional drought. “2021 has already...

Fallen trees and some property damage were reported in and around Hollister as a result of a Christmas eve storm that brought strong winds to the region.  In a neighborhood along Promise Way in southwest Hollister, local resident Danny Rubalcava was out at 2:30am Dec....

California Dreamin’ The local art exhibit, “California Dreamin’,” showcasing a collection of artworks that celebrate the essence of summer nostalgia and the California Dream, opens in downtown Hollister with a June 22 celebration from 12-4pm at the Art Depot.  The exhibit, hosted by the San Benito...