News

Last week the California Council for Wildlife Rehabilitators reported a major positive step, albeit on a small scale, toward protecting wildlife from rodenticides.

Pinnacles National Park will continue its summer speaker series in August with four planned lectures focusing on climate change and sustainability.

The YMCA of the Central Coast has hired a regional executive director for Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. Andy Weighill will oversee the San Benito and Watsonville YMCAs.

A semi-truck and car were involved in an accident Friday at Highway 156 and Fairveiw Road, while there were no reported injuries.

According to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Side Fund Report, San Benito County owed $3.9 million for public safety unfunded retirement liabilities and the City of Hollister owed $10.8 million for all employee groups as of June 2012.

California is in the middle of a severe fire season that started early, authorities say.

Supervisors approved reinstating an assistant county administrative officer July 23, with Ray Espinosa set to fill the position when a new county administrative officer is hired. Espinosa has been serving as interim CAO for 10 months.

Garden Railroad Tour: Garden railroaders in the South Santa Clara Valley and Santa Cruz areas will open their homes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 17. Visitors are asked to bring a donation of nonperishable food (or cash, checks or gift cards for Nob Hill or Safeway). Details: (408) 683-4537.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development approved a grant for $133,000 for the San Benito County Homeless Coalition from its emergency solutions grant program.

A party with Tommy Bahama shirts, leis and dancing might sound like a luau straight out of Waikiki, Hawaii, however the festivities were closer to home at the Gilroy Senior Center where members of South County’s disabled community boogied at their annual Adaptive Learning Luau.