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California is in a budget hole, its depth measured not in feet, but in dollars. How deep? A projected $38 billion deficit, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said Jan. 10 he will declare a fiscal emergency when necessary and unveiled his initial plan to...

At least one died in a vehicle collision near Gilroy on Monday midnight, barely an hour after New Year arrived, according to California Highway Patrol.  The CHP said two vehicles, a Nissan SUV and a Chevy pickup truck, were involved in the fatal crash which...

Joseph Alexander, who survived 12 concentration camps during the Holocaust, will speak about his experiences at a rare event in Morgan Hill on Jan. 11.  Born in Poland in 1922, Alexander is one of the few remaining survivors of the Holocaust, and one of the...

In my last column I highlighted Rosy and Rich Bergen’s Little Uvas Vineyard (LUV) and their facility called “The Garage” at 255 Fitzgerald Ave. in San Martin. Their long range plan is to have other businesses, like other wineries and eateries, help fill the...

In a milestone for creating a major new source of drinking water, California has approved its first standards for turning sewage into potable water supplies delivered to homes and businesses. The State Water Resources Control Board, in a unanimous vote Dec. 19, outlined for the...

Californians that partake in cannabis use in their off-work down time will have more employment protections beginning Jan. 1 thanks to new laws.   Assembly Bill 2188 is an amendment to the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and prohibits employers from discriminating against a worker...

California workers will be guaranteed five paid sick days a year starting Jan. 1, up from the three days that employers are currently required to provide, thanks to Senate Bill 616.  The bill, authored by Long Beach Democratic Sen. Lena Gonzalez, also extends protections against...

As California tackles its fentanyl crisis, two new laws will be taking effect in January that will make drugs that reverse the effects of opioid overdoses easier to access in certain places and update the so-called good Samaritan law to include those who administer...

A motorist died in a collision with another vehicle on Highway 152 near Lovers Lane on Dec. 22, according to authorities. All three people in the other vehicle, including a small child, were transported to a nearby hospital.  California Highway Patrol officers responded to the...

Food insecurity in California ticked upward over the past year, bringing the share of hardship back up to levels early in the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data released by the California Association of Food Banks on Dec. 12. “Families are buying less food,” said May...