Local News

As of Aug. 17, there have been 848 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in San Benito County. The local death count remains at four, according to county officials.  Confirmed cases include patients who have since recovered and those who are deceased. The data from the Public Health...

Neil Kitchens—a Prunedale resident who ran unsuccessfully against Robert Rivas in the 2018 race for state assembly—pleaded guilty to felony election fraud on election day 2020, according to authorities.

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital was recently targeted by an information security hoax in which the perpetrator demanded a ransom payment, hospital officials said in a statement.  The Hollister hospital received correspondence from a suspect or suspects suggesting that an outside party had gained access to...

Public health officials say they’ve detected the first known cases of a South African Covid-19 variant in Santa Clara and Alameda counties. Chief health officers in each jurisdiction, doctors Sara Cody and Nicholas Moss, hosted a press conference Feb. 10 to field questions about the...

Housing costs and inflation are the top concerns for California's 9 million Latino registered voters, according to a report issued Sept. 10 by the Latino Community Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to Latino voter engagement.  Although some blame political candidates for high costs, most blame...

Managers of California’s two main water storage and delivery systems on March 22 announced increases to forecasted water allocations for millions of people and vast tracts of farmland. The state Department of Water Resources, which runs the State Water Project, said its anticipated water deliveries...

The Hollister Police Department is investigating a fatal collision involving a vehicle and pedestrian that occurred in the 1900 block of Poplar Court, and authorities think the deadly incident was the result of an altercation. About 2am March 28, Hollister Police officers were dispatched to...

New telehealth service available for pet care The East Bay SPCA has launched a telemedicine service available to all California residents for a variety of services like consultations and accessing certain prescriptions.  Appointments can be made for prescriptions for preventive treatments such as flea, tick and...

Espinosa on medical leave San Benito County Administrative Officer Ray Espinosa is currently out on a medical leave of absence, according to a press release from the county. Earlier this year, Espinosa had considered retiring due to his health issue, but his situation has “evolved.”  During...

The total value of San Benito County’s crop production surpassed $405 million in 2024, with vegetables and row crops generating the most sales among all local agricultural production categories.  The county’s annual crop report this year says the total value of local agricultural production last...