The year of the returning bulb
This past year has been a flurry of events, milestones, changes, victories and losses that shaped Gilroy and South Santa Clara County. And as the region continues to face the challenges and embrace the hopes related to ongoing growth, 2026 promises to keep local...
Amah Mutsun files complaint to stop Betabel project
The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band last week announced that it has filed a lawsuit against San Benito County to halt development of a new commercial project on Betabel Road, which sits on property that “holds significant historical, cultural and religious value” to the tribe.
The...
Record temperatures take a toll on South Valley
The historic heat wave that has gripped most of California this week has resulted in broken temperature records, prompted cities and counties to open public “cooling centers” for the vulnerable, limited outdoor school activities—and might have even damaged a stretch of highly traveled asphalt...
A guide to state propositions on the Nov. 5 ballot
With election day approaching, voters have several state propositions from which to choose. Below is a brief description of each of them. For a deeper dive, visit voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions.
Proposition 2
Public School and Community College Facilities
Under Prop. 2, the state would sell a $10 billion bond...
Santa Clara County reopens applications for microbusiness grants
Small businesses in Santa Clara County can apply for grants of up to $2,500 if they have been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic after the county reopened its microbusiness grant program.
While the county has awarded more than 500 grants through the program's first...
Projected cost of Anderson Dam retrofit balloons to $2.3B
Projected costs of the massive Anderson Dam reconstruction project in Morgan Hill have risen to approximately $2.3 billion, according to a report prepared by engineers for the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Two years ago, the cost of the dam project—required for earthquake protection and...
Hopes raised for promised pay increase
Cristina Cortez earns just $20.70 an hour running dialysis procedures for older patients suffering from kidney failure in the city of Gilroy. Because of her husband’s serious work injury in 2017 and their need to economize, her family of five moved an hour away...
Gun buyback nets 289 unwanted firearms
Despite drenching rain and strong winds, people weren’t deterred when it came to dropping off unwanted guns Saturday during a gun buyback program staged by Santa Clara County law agencies and the District Attorney’s Office.
Spread out in several tents with a motor vehicle drive-thru...
Study: Employers fail to keep farmworkers safe from Covid
Although farm and food production workers were considered essential workers during the pandemic, many of California's food employers endangered those workers, violating Cal/OSHA's Covid-19 guidelines more often than most industries, a new report said.
The California Institute for Rural Studies’ report said farm and food...
County officials warn of ‘critical’ federal healthcare cuts at townhall
Santa Clara County officials and partnering nonprofits convened an emergency townhall meeting in South County Friday to warn residents about potential impacts from recently passed federal legislation that could slash healthcare funding and force difficult choices for local services.
The meeting at the Valley Health...























