Dead birds found in rural South County raise concerns
A spate of bird deaths in rural South County has been linked to a deadly chemical found in varmint poisons, prompting local environmental health officials to reach out to property owners to make sure they are applying rodenticides safely and correctly.
Since December, the California...
South Valley resident earns UC Santa Cruz scholarship
Cipriano Echezarreta, a graduate of the Gavilan College Class of 2024 who will transfer to UC Santa Cruz in the fall, was awarded the prestigious Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Scholarship.
Echezarreta, a resident of San Juan Bautista, is an environmental science major whose career...
Spoking My Mind: Fine February favorites
Last month, I shared that 2025 would be my final year writing this column; after 25 years of Spoking My Mind, I felt it was time to hang up my helmet. (Let me clarify: I’ll stop bike writing, but never stop bike riding.) Thank...
Fire evacuation resource center opens at Sobrato High
Emergency authorities have opened an evacuation resource center in Morgan Hill for those who face evacuation orders or warnings due to the current wildfires. The resource center is at Sobrato High School, 401 Burnett Ave., and is staffed by the American Red Cross.
At about...
Hecker Pass pursuit leads to DUI arrest
A 30-year-old Lemoore man was arrested Oct. 6 after he reportedly tried to evade police.
California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said CHP officers observed a BMW M4 fail to stop at a stop sign near East Lake Avenue at Casserly Road in Watsonville on...
Christopher girls soccer team reaches third CCS title game in four years
For the third time in four years, the Christopher High girls soccer team has advanced to a Central Coast Section playoff championship match.
The Cougars made it happen after a riveting 2-1 overtime win over Menlo School in a Division II semifinal Wednesday. The No....
Local Scene: GALs accepting grant applications
Gilroy Assistance League accepting grant requests
The Gilroy Assistance League is now accepting grant requests that will benefit Gilroy youth organizations, programs and schools.
In 2021, GALs gave out $16,000 to various youth services, such as Community Solutions, One Heart to Another, Parents Helping Parents, St....
Program gives ranchers access to areas during disasters
The County of Santa Clara has launched a program that will allow ranchers and livestock owners to access restricted areas during wildfires and other emergencies to feed their animals, check their health and, if necessary, evacuate them.
The County has granted more than 40 Livestock...
Rivas promotes more Covid-19 help for farmworkers
California Assemblymember Robert Rivas is leading an effort to provide more healthcare services, support and information to the state’s farmworkers—a sector that has suffered more than others from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Religion: Let’s be clear
In this space in the last month, colleagues from different traditions have written about positive actions one may take in these times that are so challenging. They have expressed a moral urgency regarding our nation’s military moves and threats against other nations, and the...
