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San Benito County voters largely agreed with the rest of state

The Hollister City Council approved revising its mandatory

Mia is a petite 1-year-old Siamese mix who was rescued after being abandoned as a kitten at a local store. Her littermate recently found his home so now Mia needs hers. She is quiet, but enjoys treats and brushing from visitors, and is hoping for a patient adopter.  If interested, call (831) 634-1191 or visit PetFriends.org.

Administrators running Gilroy's only charter school threw a last-minute charter-saving option into the mix but some trustees balked at the idea, calling it a distraction.

The 2013 Kihncert - an all-day Rock & Roll concert co-headlined by former Poison frontman Bret Michaels and the Greg Kihn Band - is coming to Morgan Hill in October.

Greg Kihn, the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame inductee and former DJ of KFOX 98.5 FM, announced the news on his website, detailing the Oct. 12 concert date at the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center on Condit Road. The concert is scheduled to begin at noon and, with multiple rock bands expected to play, will last until 11 p.m.

“I am pumped about this year’s Kihncert and to continue the tradition of great Rock & Roll with great bands in Morgan Hill,” said Kihn, whose past Kihncerts have included the likes of The Who, Lynyrd Skynrd, Steve Miller Band, Styx, Kansas, Yes, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Paul Rodgers, and Boston.

Tickets will go on sale Friday on www.kihncert.com.

Jeff Dixon, president of the Morgan Hill Youth Sports Alliance which has contracted with the City to run the Outdoor Sports Complex since July of 2010, confirmed that the Kihncert is close to being finalized, pending final approval from City Hall.

“We are excited that we’re bringing the Kihncert to Morgan Hill,” said Dixon. “We think it’s valuable because of the economic impact, the visibility it brings to the great community we have, and it demonstrates what the Outdoor Sports Complex can be used for.”

Director of Media Matthew Altamirano at Arts Related Technical Training for Entertainment Careers, or ARTTEC, a Morgan Hill-based production company that employs local high school students, is partnering with Kihn to produce the concert in Morgan Hill.

“ARTTEC students are participating in every aspect of production,” said Altamirano, a 2008 Ann Sobrato High School alumnus, detailing that students will have duties such as live audio mixing, concert lighting and video images during the Kihncert. Altamirano said current ARTTEC students as well as any other high school students interested in joining the production team should visit www.arttecusa.com.

The Outdoor Sports Center, which caters to athletic events for soccer, football, rugby, lacrosse and field hockey, sits on 38 acres off Condit Avenue in northeast Morgan Hill. This past summer, the facility hosted the California Youth Soccer Association’s District II Cup, which brought in between 15,000 to 18,000 visitors.

Dixon said the facility has also hosted two non-athletic events: The No Bull Barbecue and the 2013 Morgan Hill Freedom Fest’s Fireworks Show. The Fourth of July show brought in an estimated 25,000 spectators.

“We’ve always entertained the idea of doing an outdoor concert here,” said Dixon. “(The fireworks display) tells us that we can handle a large crowd.”

Dixon added there was no damage to the fields from the fireworks show. The Outdoor Sports Center has hosted five events of 15,000 people and one of 25,000 people, according to Dixon.

Dixon said the Youth Sports Alliance has submitted its special events permit application for city approval.

“We expect based on our experience that we will be able to meet all City requirements to obtain approval,” Dixon said. “We’re committed to making sure Morgan Hill hosts a very successful event.”

The first Kihncert was in 2002 and it has been held at South Bay venues such as the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View.

While the Hollister fire union and city manager have traded public claims in the aftermath of the association’s no-confidence vote against him and Fire Chief Fred Cheshire, some council members stressed the need to keep talks civil and, preferably, behind closed doors.

Alex Galiotto had a dream one night that she was helping dozens of victims who were drastically affected by the recent local wildfires.   Sunday marked the second week in a row of her collecting everything from clothes to baby supplies during a fire donation drive...