Politics

Emails obtained by the Free Lance regarding the Hollister Freedom Rally event showed that city officials behind the scenes held talks on possibly lifting the public nudity ban, agreed to a settlement with Abercrombie & Fitch over use of the event name logo, and experienced tensions with the promoter over what he called “permit hell” and other financial issues.

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital announced a donation set to help establish a diabetes center in Hollister.

San Benito High School Superintendent John Perales urged trustees to consider a more liberal approach to physical education class waivers during the board meeting this week.

San Benito High School District trustees Tuesday accepted the resignation of Principal Todd Dearden—who had been under investigation for unspecified misconduct—and unanimously approved a resignation agreement that includes two months of salary and health benefits through June.

Supervisor Robert Rivas gets to take his turn as county board chairman in 2016.

The San Benito High School superintendent and five trustees gathered at a special workshop Saturday morning to discuss a breakdown of trust and communication among officials, but violated the state open meetings law by following it with a closed session that had been absent from the agenda until that morning.

San Benito County supervisors Tuesday evening are set to choose a new chair and vice chair of the board at a special meeting.

The county superintendent of schools affirmed a commissioned attorney’s legal opinion rejecting a petition for a special election over a seat on the Hollister School District Board of Trustees. The decision means appointed Trustee Mike Baldwin will keep his seat.

Workers receiving minimum wage in San Benito County just got a New Year’s Day bonus, thanks to legislation that took effect last week.

Travel and training costs have escalated for some City of Hollister departments in recent budgets. During the current fiscal year’s first five and a half months, those expenses totaled $56,288, according to documents obtained by the Free Lance.