Local News

As local political campaigns officially kick off this election season, one of the most high-profile races in San Benito County is for the mayor’s seat in the city of Hollister. Earlier this year, the Hollister City Council voted to extend the two-year term limit...

The new Union Road bridge is on schedule to be completed by December 2024, replacing the aging existing bridge that spans the San Benito River between Cienega Road and San Benito Street. According to San Benito County Public Works Administrator Steve Loupe, the majority...

The California Department of Motor Vehicles this week announced that the Hollister office, located at 80 North Sally Street, will temporarily expand its operating hours to include Fridays, in addition to its regular Tuesday and Thursday schedule.  The additional Friday hours will begin on Aug....

Nonprofit receives grant for children’s services The independent nonprofit Partnership for Children, which increases access to medical care for children with serious illnesses and supports their families, has been awarded a $10,000 Program Project Grant from the Community Foundation for San Benito County. With the grant,...

The 2024 Gilroy Rodeo broke records for highest attendance and the most contestants participating in the event’s seven-year history on Aug. 9-11.  More than 1,000 contestants competed and performed in the local rodeo, which is run entirely by volunteers and returns all of its annual...

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a stack of bills Aug. 16 aimed at curtailing organized retail, property and auto theft in California. Newsom appeared at a Home Depot in San Jose with state, business and law enforcement officials, signing 10 bills that he said go “to...

Former UFC fighter Cain Velasquez pleaded guilty Aug. 16 to multiple felony charges related to a 2022 vigilante high-speed chase and shooting spree through Morgan Hill that wounded an unintended target and endangered a nearby elementary school, according to the Santa Clara County District...

Join symphony board The nonprofit South Valley Symphony is seeking volunteers to serve on its board of directors. Applicants should have a strong interest in helping to shape the symphony’s activities in coming years and becoming a part of the organization’s long standing traditions.  The board...

The California State Assembly Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction and Overdose Prevention on Aug. 12 during an informational hearing discussed the urgency of combating the rise in overdose deaths among youth in recent years primarily due to ingesting fentanyl.  Between 2019 and 2021, drug...

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital and the San Benito Health Care District this week announced that they have reached a new labor agreement with the Hollister hospital’s largest union.  Hospital administrators said they received approval from the National Union of Healthcare Workers for a new labor...