Politics

The pot leaf is a four-leaf clover for cannabis entrepreneurs who want to do business in Hollister. City policymakers Tuesday voted to hear numerous medical cannabis applicants at a future meeting in October and to direct city staff to begin recruiting for pot-related personnel....

City leaders Tuesday inched closer to deciding the fate of the vacant 400 block in downtown Hollister. In closed session at the Hollister City Council meeting, council members decided to vote on Mayor Ignacio Velazquez’s successful petition to halt development on the city-owned parcel...

San Juan Bautista City Manager Roger Grimsely abruptly resigned Tuesday during closed session at the city council meeting. Grimsely, who was also the city engineer, announced last year his intention to retire. While the city council in March said it would start the recruitment...

Mayor Ignacio Velazquez said the Hollister City Council is violating state law by stalling the certification of a petition to place the 400 block of San Benito Street development before voters. “Once they have verification from the , at the next regular scheduled meeting they...

After spending hours in a closed door meeting Tuesday, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors decided to delay enforcement action against the operator of the Panoche Valley Solar Farm. Officials met with representatives from ConEdison Development for nearly four hours during closed session at...

Residents crowded Hollister City Hall during a special meeting Monday to express their concerns about the city’s growth. City leaders were discussing housing allocations for next year when the council decided to push the topic to a future meeting because of the amount of...

Homelessness, the armed forces and drug policy were some of the items discussed at a town hall meeting Tuesday with Jimmy Panetta, the Democratic representative for the 20th congressional district. Panetta was introduced to the packed room at the county administration building by Jaime De...

Calling their existing medical cannabis policy a mess, county legislators Tuesday decided to defer a vote on proposed rules for cultivation and manufacturing operations to November. “I personally have developed major reservations about moving forward with this medical marijuana ordinance or policy,” San Benito County...

San Benito County leaders threatened to stop work at Panoche Valley Solar Farm Tuesday as tensions flared over unpaid tax revenue and lack of local workers at the renewable energy site. After heated exchanges between the supervisors and a ConEdison Development  representative, supervisors set...

Cannabis was not on the agenda for the Hollister City Council meeting Monday, but that did not stop three dispensary applicants from requesting reconsideration. Last week, the city leaders approved just one—out of two—possible medical cannabis dispensaries. Purple Cross Rx received the go-ahead, while three...