Conservation groups buy 668 acres of South Valley farmland
Three connected agricultural properties straddling the border of San Benito and Santa Clara counties were recently purchased by conservation organizations, ensuring the lands totaling more than 600 acres will remain an active link in a vital regional ecosystem.
The Peninsula Open Space Trust on Oct....
Education leaders, community members rally for county tax measure
Education advocates and community leaders gathered on a cloudy morning outside Saint Louise Regional Hospital to urge voters to support Measure A, a Santa Clara County sales tax ballot option aimed at preserving healthcare services threatened by recent federal funding cuts.
The Sept. 30 rally...
Santa Clara County hospitals investigated for illegal medical, hazardous waste disposal
Three hospitals in the Santa Clara County healthcare system have been repeatedly illegally dumping medical and hazardous waste—as well as confidential patient records—over the past year or more, according to authorities.
Violations observed at the county-owned hospitals—including Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy—include the improper...
Public can comment on Anderson Dam project environmental study
Valley Water, the local water district that is in charge of rebuilding the dam at Anderson Reservoir in Morgan Hill, recently released a draft environmental study of the seismic retrofit project.
The district is now accepting public comment on the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project...
CA legislators discuss youth fentanyl OD crisis
The California State Assembly Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction and Overdose Prevention on Aug. 12 during an informational hearing discussed the urgency of combating the rise in overdose deaths among youth in recent years primarily due to ingesting fentanyl.
Between 2019 and 2021, drug...
Unprecedented snowfall hitting Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains this weekend
A rare snowfall has dusted the Greater Bay Area, as the National Weather Service is predicting more on its way over the weekend.
Highway 17 was closed in both directions between Los Gatos and Scotts Valley early this morning because of snow and fallen trees....
‘Tis the season at South County’s Battaglia Ranch
The scent of fresh-cut pine fills the air as Jorge Garcia watches his children, ages 2 and 5, weave between rows of evergreens with their mother, searching for the perfect Christmas tree. It’s their first time at Battaglia Ranch as a young family, but...
Water district removes homeless from Gilroy sites
Valley Water this week evicted about 60 unhoused people from encampments on two of its properties in Gilroy, and homeless advocates say the residents have nowhere else to go.
“We ask the public to understand that if tents, and people, and carts of belongings begin...
State grants Open Space Authority $1.2M for Coyote Valley preservation plan
The Board of the State Coastal Conservancy recently authorized funding totaling $84 million for projects throughout California to protect and restore coastal lands, increase coastal resilience to climate change, improve public access to the coast and reduce the impact of wildfire on coastal lands.
Locally,...
Demand jumps for blood donors
More than two years after the Covid-19 pandemic started, hospitals and medical facilities throughout the region are still “desperate” for blood supplies for their patients, according to an American Red Cross representative. One way that many people, organizations and venues are committed to helping...























