News

Police have arrested a 21-year-old man allegedly connected with a Christmas Day homicide, marking the Garlic Capital's third murder this year, according to a press release.

Police recently arrested three suspects at a local motel after officers found a loaded firearm and drugs in their room, according to a Hollister Police Department statement.

One local doctor is hopeful proposed legislation will fix a disparity with county Medicare reimbursements he believes are unfair. “Because of this (rate), doctors in Hollister that see Medicare patients get paid 15 percent less than doctors in Gilroy who do the same work,” said Dr. Martin Bress of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital.

Dec. 23:

Warning: What follows is shameless self-promotion – a crass sales pitch intended to lure you to buy my new ebook "Measureless Mountain Days: A Father and Son on the John Muir Trail." In exchange for your indulgence (and $3.99), I promise a lively read, and maybe the temptation to walk the John Muir Trail yourself.

A Hollister girl took first place in an age division for Bookshop Santa Cruz's annual Young Writers Contest. Julia Pearson, a seventh-grader at Rancho San Justo Middle School, entered her short story to the contest in October and won first place in the 10-13 year-old age division. It was a fictional narrative that she wrote for her seventh-grade language arts class. Then she got to read a portion of it on KZSC radio station at UCSC on Nov. 19 on Bruce Bratton's “Grapevine” program. Bookshop Santa Cruz is also donating a copy of the book to the school library of each honoree.

In 2013, San Benito County put on a hard hat and got to work on the future.

Mayor Ignacio Velazquez sat down with the Free Lance in mid-December for an interview, a year after the local businessman was sworn in officially as the first elected at-large mayor in Hollister’s history.

Muffins is a 13-year-old gray tabby who is a great companion and would make a great lap cat. She is very sweet and gentle. She is available for adoption at the San Martin Animal Shelter. Interested? Call (408) 686-3900.

Golden Eagle Mortgage Group, 17500 Depot St., Morgan Hill, held a ribbon cutting Nov. 7. Joining owner Pauline Amstutz were many Golden Eagle staff, members, ambassadors and staff of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce. The ribbon cutting was catered by another Chamber of Commerce member, Odeum restaurant. For information on joining the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce call (408) 779-9444.