Spoking My Mind: Summertime, and the cycling is easy
First, an inspirational quote: “SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER!” - A. Cooper
Kids, enjoy your well-earned freedom. Celebrate with some sweet summer cycling, and don’t forget your helmets and sunscreen! Drivers, be extra alert!
Second, a quick thank you to all the riders who participated in last...
‘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...
The Smithsonian comes to Gilroy
The community room of the Gilroy Library transformed into a walk-through installation on Nov. 5, depicting the life of civil rights champion and co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, Dolores Huerta, who coined the phrase, “Sí se puede” (Yes, we can).
Huerta briefly taught...
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...
Conservationists secure ranchland for open space in Morgan Hill
The Peninsula Open Space Trust recently completed the transfer of 1,908 acres of Lakeside Ranch in Morgan Hill to the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency.
With the transaction, the Habitat Agency gains stewardship of one of the largest remaining intact ranches in the South Bay,...
Flu, Covid, RSV transmission increasing across state
Transmission of the flu, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus is increasing statewide simultaneously and could lead to overwhelmed hospitals this winter, one of the state's top health officials said Thursday.
Covid test positivity and case rates have climbed by roughly 25% over the last two...
Saint Louise announces first baby of 2026
The first baby of 2026 in South Santa Clara County is 5-pound, 10-ounce Brittany Sanchez.
Sanchez was born on Jan. 1 at Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, according to county officials. Brittany was 18 inches long. Her parents are Antonia Lopez Sanchez and Bartolo...
Officials dedicate 14.1 miles of Bay Area Ridge Trail in Morgan Hill
State and local officials celebrated the addition of 14.1 miles to the Bay Area Ridge Trail May 30, marking the largest single-day dedication in decades for the ambitious project to create a continuous 550-mile loop around the San Francisco Bay Area.
The newly dedicated section...
Julie Hutcheson named executive director of Green Foothills
Julie Hutcheson, a longtime Morgan Hill resident and environmental advocate for the South Bay, is the new executive director for Green Foothills.
Hutcheson has been on Green Foothills’ staff for more than 12 years and has taken an active role in leading the organization, most...
State officials propose penalties for gas price gouging
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Sen. Nancy Skinner announced a proposal Dec. 5 to penalize oil companies in an effort to deter gas price gouging.
The proposal would make it illegal for oil companies to charge excessive refining margins—the price difference between the cost of...























