Politics

The Hollister City Council approved an ABC liquor license for the upcoming Epicenter Wine Room in downtown Hollister. According to the staff report, San Andreas Beverage Company, LLC applied for a winegrower type two license. The new wine tasting spot will be located at 620 San...

The Hollister City Council approved local medical cannabis business Purple Cross Rx to move forward in the dispensary permit process after a testy face-off between council members and Hollister Mayor Ignacio Velazquez. After hearing presentations from six medical cannabis dispensary applicants, Velazquez said he had...

At the same meeting the San Juan Bautista City Council decided to hire a cannabis consultant, city leaders moved to draft an ordinance that would ban recreational cannabis businesses within city limits before the state is expected to start issuing licenses next year. City...

PACHECO RESERVOIR EXPANSION PROJECT The Hollister City Council unanimously approved sending their support letter with an amendment to bring up the inclusion of a possible recreation component. The $800 million dam project - proposed by the Santa Clara Valley Water District -  would expand the reservoir...

The Community Foundation of San Benito County and its allies have launched an online petition to support its plans to build the nonprofit new offices on the 400 block of San Benito Street. Started last Friday, the online petition is open to anyone with an...

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors is preparing for a fight over the Panoche Valley Solar Farm. On Tuesday, supervisors approved a contract not to exceed $60,000 for legal representation in the county’s pursuit to fix breaches in the development agreement with ConEdison Development,...

City and county leaders during last week’s intergovernmental meeting discussed sharing equipment across jurisdictions as a way to cut down on expensive road maintenance costs. “You guys have a striping truck and we don’t,” San Juan Bautista Mayor Chris Martorana told the gathering of policymakers...

San Juan Bautista residents crowded city hall to speak out against a proposed Formula One Grand Prix racetrack at a Tuesday meeting of the city planning commission. The proposal, Motor & Technology Center of Excellence, includes a raceway, convention center, eateries, luxury condominiums and hotel,...

A medical cannabis recommendation clinic with several licensed physicians will not be allowed to operate at a former bank in the historic center of San Juan Bautista, according to a decision by the city’s planning commission during its Tuesday meeting.   “I’ve provided a wealth...

Outdoor gym equipment and handball courts may be in the pipeline for McCarthy Street Park thanks to a nearly $700,000 grant the City of Hollister was recently awarded by the state. While the process is expected to take up to three years to complete,...