Politics

Trash isn’t the only thing steaming near the John Smith Road Landfill, and the dump isn’t the only thing getting trashed.

Assemblyman Luis Alejo, San Benito Superior Court officials and county supervisors are working toward securing funds for additional security personnel at the new courthouse slated to open March 17, according to court officials.

A local video about the Hollister Urban Area Water Project has won a first-place award in a Bay Area contest's community access TV category, according to an announcement from the Water Resources Association of San Benito County.

Ken Duran, who served two council terms and two tenures as Hollister mayor, has died. He was 85 years old.

Hollister council members this week OK’d Interim Fire Chief Mike O’Connor as the full-time fire chief. O’Connor assumed the interim post in April and has overseen the transition of county fire services from Calfire to the Hollister Fire Department.

As most Californians know, there is only one consolidated city-county in the state, San Francisco. The other 57 counties have 481 cities and towns within their borders; San Benito County has only two, Hollister and San Juan Bautista. A good case can be made for making San Benito the second consolidated city-county in the state to improve our economic and political future and to ensure that the residents of Hollister are fairly represented at the county level.

Hollister City Council members Tuesday will discuss proposed annexations of private property into the city, including such locations as Dassel/Mackie Rental; Gay Lee Products, Inc.; and Award Homes, Inc.

Opponents of the Resource Recovery Park project south of the John Smith Landfill are holding two open community meetings at the end of the month to inform supervisors and residents about their concerns.

The process to select a contracted city attorney – a crucial position in giving legal advice to Hollister officials – took an unusual path locally due to the specialized type of hiring.

Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, will be leading a workshop Jan. 30 in Hollister on the Cal Grant application process as well as a "Middle Class Scholarship initiative."