Politics

In the race for three seats on the San Juan Bautista City Council, Jackie Morris-Lopez continues to lead the field with 22.61%, or 346 ballots in her favor. Following are Leslie Q. Jordan with 20.59%, Edwin J. Sabathia with 19.74%, Jose Aranda with 19.15%...

Newly elected City Councilmember Cesar Flores has been appointed the new mayor of San Juan Bautista. The three new council members—Flores, Leslie Jordan and Mary Vazquez Edge—all voted for Flores’ appointment on Dec.18. Councilmembers John Freeman and Dan DeVries voted against Flores’ appointment. A vote...

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.

The San Juan Bautista City Council was set to approve an employment agreement for a new city manager, Don Reynolds. Reynolds currently works as the assistant public works director in Salinas. Reynolds told the Free Lance he’s spent three decades in public service, working...

In the Nov. 8 election for the Hollister City Council District 3 seat, incumbent Dolores Morales will face small business owner Rosalinda Sanchez.  Morales was elected to the District 3 seat in a November 2021 special election, which was conducted to replace former Council member...

Neil Kitchens, a Republican candidate who ran an unsuccessful campaign for State Assembly District 30 in 2018, has been charged with five counts of election fraud. Kitchens pleaded not guilty at an arraignment June 28 in Monterey County Superior Court, according to court filings. He...

Any members of the community who want to participate in this week’s San Benito County Board of Supervisors meeting will have to do so from a safe distance on the internet or the phone.   County officials announced on Jan. 11 that the public will not...

Three people were injured in a two-car accident that closed

Hollister’s Interim City Manager Paul Eckert resigned today, Nov. 14, after just eight days on the job, according to Mayor Ignacio Velazquez. Velazquez said Eckert delivered a resignation letter to the city late Thursday afternoon, one day before City Manager Bill Avera’s retirement and one...

Three candidates are on the June 7 ballot for San Benito County Supervisor District 4: Tony Avilla, Angela Curro and Elia Salinas.  Avilla grew up in Santa Clara County and served in the U.S. Air Force before he began working for his family’s construction company,...