Tag: morgan hill california

Jerry and Judy Ross never planned to own their own Morgan Hill winery.

A house fire in an east Morgan Hill neighborhood caused about $50,000 worth of structure damage Wednesday night, according to authorities.About 6:18 p.m. the 911 dispatch center received a call reporting the fire on Darnis Circle, according to CalFire Fire Prevention Specialist Pam Temmermand. The blaze started in the garage of the home, and spread to the attic, Temmermand said. Crews estimate about $50,000 worth of damage was inflicted by the blaze.The fire started accidentally, but authorities did not elaborate on the cause.No injuries were reported.  

The Santa Clara County Planning Department is in the process of updating their procedures for public outreach and notification of development projects, and will be soliciting input from residents at a public hearing in Morgan Hill Thursday night.

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.

Police arrested a San Jose man Tuesday after he used one of 30 fake credit cards in his possession at a Morgan Hill grocery store, authorities said. A loss prevention officer at Safeway grocery store on Tennant Avenue notified Morgan Hill police about the man after he used one of the fraudulent credit cards to purchase items at the store, according to a press release from MHPD. The man, later identified as Keith Brown, 22 of San Jose, was sitting in his car outside Safeway when officers contacted him, police said. He also had a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of DUI, out of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Police were assisted by Safeway, Star One Credit Union of San Jose and Travis Credit Union of Vacaville to determine that Brown had been using more than 30 stolen credit card account numbers to purchase thousands of dollars worth of gift cards at Safeway stores throughout the Bay Area, police said. The County’s Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team, a high-tech fraud task force, assisted Morgan Hill detectives with the investigation, according to the press release. Agents think Brown was manufacturing fake credit cards from his home. Brown was arrested on suspicion of identity theft, burglary and use of a fraudulent credit card, police said. Police remind residents to periodically check their bank accounts and immediately report any fraudulent activity to the authorities. Anyone with information about these crimes can contact Morgan Hill Police at (408) 779-2101.

Morgan Hill police Wednesday night arrested a man believed to be a suspect in a series of recent burglaries in town, authorities said. Officers were dispatched to the area of Barnell Avenue Wednesday night on a report of a suspicious man in the backyard of a residence, according to a press release from the Morgan Hill Police Department. When officers arrived, witnesses said they saw the man fleeing the area on a bicycle toward Dunne Avenue, police said. Officers soon found the suspect’s discarded bicycle in the yard of a home on Dunne Avenue near Del Monte Avenue. Police established a perimeter around the area, and witnesses led officers to the Dollar Tree store located in a shopping center at the corner of West Dunne Avenue and Monterey Road, the press release said. As police entered the front door of Dollar Tree, the suspect ran out through the rear doors and was tackled by officers as he ran through the Monte Vista Apartments complex, police said. The suspect, later identified as Jaime Alvarado, 33 of Morgan Hill, had multiple warrants for his arrest, police said. He was taken into custody without further incident. Alvarado is also believed to be responsible for a series of recent burglaries in Morgan Hill, though police did not offer further information on those crimes. Alvarado was booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of burglary and resisting arrest, police said. Police noted that the case would not have been solved, nor the property recovered as quickly as it was, without the help of nearby residents “to get involved and report suspicious activity.” 

The Santa Clara County Fair opens to the public August 1, but 4-H and Future Farmers of America organizations from Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy are already in the swing of things, competing on fairgrounds since July 28.

If you’re ready to elevate your running, the Mt. Madonna Challenge may be for you.

You’ll find me at the Garlic Festival almost every year. If I’m not meandering around with friends, I at least take a quick break from work Friday to swing by and grab a peppersteak sandwich and some garlic bread.

After spending Friday afternoon extinguishing a fire that consumed about 50 acres of vegetation in west Morgan Hill, crews will spend the night “mopping up” the area and making sure all remaining hotspots are out, according to authorities.