Politics

An opinion from the California Attorney General’s Office on the validity of the 400 block petition has been delayed, according to city officials. City Clerk Tom Graves recently reached out to the state attorney general’s office for an opinion on whether Mayor Ignacio Velazquez’s petition...

San Juan Bautista planning commissioners will revisit an ambitious proposal to transform a nearby 550-acre ranch into a world-class car racing destination at its regular meeting next week. On August 1, the five-member board will hear from WY2M, Inc., a Los Gatos-based company that...

State attorney general consulted over 400 block   The Hollister City Council is still on recess, but there’s activity at city hall. City Clerk Tom Graves is validating signatures for the 400 block petition that Mayor Ignacio Velazquez submitted for certification earlier this month, after leading...

Environmental groups have reached a settlement agreement with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Con Edison Development over the size and location of the Panoche Valley Solar Farm. The settlement agreement is between the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, Santa Clara Valley Audubon...

Rough roads and crowded highways took center stage at a congenial lunch-and-learn community discussion session held by the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce July 12. Chamber members met at the stylish, new Marriott Hotel at 390 Gateway Drive in Hollister to hear from city...

After receiving comments from residents during a public hearing, San Benito County supervisors on Tuesday delayed the approval of a cannabis business ordinance. The item, which deals with cannabis cultivation for medical use only, will be continued to the board’s August 22 meeting. On...

County supervisors Tuesday awarded a $20 million jail expansion construction contract to Montana-based Sletten Construction. In May, San Benito County gave close to $1 million to construction management firm Vanir Construction. According to Vanir’s proposal, the project is expected to begin construction in late August....

The City of Hollister’s new Treasurer Geri Johnson is no stranger to the machinations of government. She worked for the city for nearly 30 years and now she’s back to sign city checks. “When I first started I wasn’t sure when the city would ever...

San Benito County Supervisors received a disconcerting update about the Panoche Valley Solar Farm on Tuesday. “They raped and pillaged us again,” Supervisor Jerry Muenzer said about the 26,000-acre solar  project in San Benito County that promised to generate 399 megawatts of electricity for...

A bill to reopen Clear Creek in San Benito and Fresno counties unanimously passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Congressman Jimmy Panetta introduced the Clear Creek National Recreation Area and Conservation Act. The bill directs the Bureau of Land Management to reopen the 63,000-acre Clear...