News

The Community Foundation for San Benito County recently hired Shannon Chastaine as its new Director of Development and Donor Services. With a career dedicated to fostering relationships, advancing meaningful causes and aligning donor passions with impactful giving, Chastaine brings a wealth of experience and...

Millions of people in cities and towns throughout the nation joined the “No Kings” protest on June 14—a crowd that included several hundred protesters in southeast Hollister.  The event was organized in 2,000 cities in the U.S. to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, and...

Gurleen Khajuria, a Gavilan College STEM tutor and aspiring materials scientist, has been awarded the 2025 Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Scholarship.  The $20,000 award supports community college students transferring to UC Santa Cruz who have shown exceptional academic achievement, leadership and commitment to service. Gavilan...

SJB art exhibit celebrates iconic Route 66 A new art exhibit, “Painting Route 66: An Artist Road Trip,” will open in San Juan Bautista with a June 21 reception from 5-7pm. The exhibit will remain open to the public through Aug. 10. The exhibit and reception...

Hollister Police Department will conduct a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on June 13, at an undisclosed location within the city limits. The checkpoint will take place from 6pm-1:30am.   In recent years, California has seen a “disturbing increase” in drug-impaired driving crashes, Hollister Police Department...

More than 800 students graduated from Hollister High School’s Class of 2025 at the local campus June 6, and are now prepared to take their next steps in the world.  This year’s graduates have a variety of plans—from community college or university, to careers or...

Watsonville Police on June 10 rounded up nearly 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks after they uncovered a group of people, including a teenager, suspected of selling dangerous fireworks in Watsonville and across Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties.  Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said...

In what transportation officials and local representatives hail as a “major milestone,” all four lanes of the new San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project will open to all traffic on June 13.  Caltrans District 5 hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 7, in which...

The nonprofit South Valley Symphony is seeking volunteers to serve on its board of directors. Applicants should have a strong interest in helping to shape the symphony’s activities over the coming years, and should be enthusiastic about becoming a part of the symphony’s long-standing...

South Valley Civic Theatre will present the Tony-nominated musical “The Prom” beginning June 20 at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, bringing a story of acceptance and inclusion to local audiences through song, dance and comedy. Directed by Tressa Bender, the production follows a group of...