News

Hollister officials say that a new policy is working well that calls for a police captain to pay 5 cents per mile for use of a city patrol car he uses on a daily commute with a round trip of around 100 miles.

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors is set to vote Tuesday on whether to approve a contract with the City of Hollister to provide fire protection services for the county.

A man rolling a marijuana joint in a public parking area inadvertently led police to a trove of guns, ammunition, cash and drugs, police said. 

Since South Valley Newspapers wrote an April 24 story about a 77-year-old Gilroy man who claimed he was scammed by a crook under the guise of a friendly tree pruner, 10 others from Gilroy and Morgan Hill have come forward with similar stories of a man by the name of Michael Oliveira who collected money for work he never completed, prompting police to launch an investigation.

Since the Dispatch wrote an April 24 story about a 77-year-old Gilroy man who claimed he was scammed by a crook under the guise of a friendly tree pruner, 10 others from Gilroy and Morgan Hill have come forward with similar stories of a man by the name of Michael Oliveira who collected money for work he never completed, prompting police to launch an investigation.

The sentencing of a former San Jose police officer who is accused of having illegal sexual contact with two teen boys took an unexpected detour Monday afternoon.

A red four-door sedan is being linked to the disappearance of 15-year-old Sierra LaMar who has been missing since March 16, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department announced Monday morning in a press release.

1. MACE Cinco de Mayo dinner: The Mexican-American Committee on Education (MACE) of San Benito County 42nd annual Cinco de Mayo Scholarship Banquet is May 5, at San Juan Oaks Golf Club. The evening event will be emceed by Esmeralda Montenegro Owen, curator of marketing and community engagement for the National Steinbeck Center. The Banquet will include a program, dinner entertainment with Trio Borincano from San Jose, and dancing entertainment with Sonido con Sabor and deejay Sergio Flores. The event will pay tribute to the 2012 MACE Man and Woman of the year, Fernando Gonzalez, a former Hollister mayor and owner of True Value Hardware and Margie Barrios, San Benito County supervisor. Tickets are $50 per person; table reservations of eight people are encouraged and still available. No tickets will be sold at the door. Donations can be made by those who cannot attend the event to: MACE  PO Box 1282 Hollister CA 95024. Details: Call George Muñoz (623-4429), Veronica Lezama (245-6971) or Mickie Luna (673-2009)

 …the snake-y kind.  Lazarus the gopher snake and Oreo the king snake, two of the educational critters at the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, have come out of winter dormancy and they are hungry hunters! 

The Hollister City Council on Monday is scheduled to consider options for a prospective ballot question asking voters to extend the Measure T sales tax approved in November 2007.