News

Four Gilroy firefighters are combating Chips Fire this week, a 68,582 acre wildfire blazing through the mountains east of Red Bluff, near Lassen National Park.

Officers from the Hollister Police Department will be conducting a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Sept. 1 at an undisclosed location within the city limits between the hours of 7p.m. and 2:30 a.m.

Authorities on Saturday transported a truck driver to a hospital by helicopter after a collision between two semi-trucks at the intersection of Highway 156 and Lucy Brown Lane.

Maverick BBQ posted a message on its Facebook page that it will close its doors for good on Saturday.

The Chinese fast food chain Panda Express has pulled building permits to renovate the former Blockbuster Video building in the Target shopping center.

South County Housing will host an orientation meeting Aug. 30, at 6 p.m., at the Rancho Park Apartments in Hollister in hopes of finding more potential homeowners for a self-help home project. San Benito, Gilroy and Morgan Hill residents are eligible to apply to the program.

Maurizio Cutrignelli recently closed Fuzio and has now opened a new restaurant in the same location called The Good Fork, a California bistro bar and grill. The menu includes California cuisine with a European flare, using farm to table vegetation from local farmers. Shawn Paul is the Executive Chef of The Good Fork and has a long career in the culinary industry; he has gained valuable experience working for premier Bay Area and New York restaurants including Bistro Jeanty, 1300 on Fillmore, Paladin and Chez Papa Bistro in addition to stints at Michelin-rated restaurants in France and England. Details: www.thegoodforkbistro.com or 408-779-3200.

Friends, family, Chamber of Commerce staff and ambassadors, and owner Rene’ Carrillo celebrated the grand opening of the downtown coffee house and cafe’ with music, food and an antique car display. GVA Café – Grinds Vines and Automobilia – offers fresh organic coffee, desserts, smoothies, wine, crepes, sandwiches and soups. Open 7 days per week at 17400 Monterey St.

Though the old county hospital site on Southside Road has long been abandoned, supervisors are hoping to turn it into an asset for the community. The building itself, on Southside Road, has fallen into disrepair since it has been empty dating back at least until 2008.

Live To Cycle, a local spin bicycle studio, is celebrating its one-year anniversary Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 193 McCray St., Ste. 304, in Hollister.