Politics

The Hollister City Council will wait until it hears from the state attorney general before it considers raising the Christian flag in front of City Hall. The council on June 21 voted 3-1 to request a letter from Attorney General Rob Bonta regarding the legality...

As Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital administrators are courting potential buyers or partners to pull the financially ailing hospital from the verge of bankruptcy, a local political organization is calling for more transparency in the process.  HHMH spokesperson Frankie Gallagher this week said the hospital has...

In the Nov. 8 election for the Hollister City Council District 3 seat, incumbent Dolores Morales will face small business owner Rosalinda Sanchez.  Morales was elected to the District 3 seat in a November 2021 special election, which was conducted to replace former Council member...

Arguing that county officials and an out-of-town developer have ignored the voice of the voters over the last two years, a group of local residents has been circulating a petition to place a measure on the Nov. 8 ballot that would limit or prohibit...

Mayoral hopeful running on growth, infrastructure platform

In the race for three seats on the San Juan Bautista City Council, Jackie Morris-Lopez continues to lead the field with 22.61%, or 346 ballots in her favor. Following are Leslie Q. Jordan with 20.59%, Edwin J. Sabathia with 19.74%, Jose Aranda with 19.15%...

Hollister police are investigating what Mayor Ignacio Velazquez calls a “hate crime” against a council member by prominent local lobbyist and former mayor Victor Gomez. Velazquez announced the investigation in a written statement to the Free Lance before the Jan. 21 city council meeting and...

Brett Miller, Hollister’s assistant city manager and manager of administrative services, is acting city manager. Miller’s appointment Friday afternoon, Nov. 15, was one of the last acts of Bill Avera on his last day on the job before his retirement as city manager. One day earlier,...

Three candidates are on the June 7 ballot for San Benito County Supervisor District 4: Tony Avilla, Angela Curro and Elia Salinas.  Avilla grew up in Santa Clara County and served in the U.S. Air Force before he began working for his family’s construction company,...

Sig Sanchez—former mayor of Gilroy and loyal advocate for South County throughout his 55-year public service career—died peacefully Jan. 30, according to family members.