Health

Food pantries across South County are experiencing unprecedented demand following the suspension of SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown, with lines wrapping around blocks and new families seeking assistance at rates not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Reach Out Food Pantry in...

Santa Clara Family Health Plan, a community-based health plan in Santa Clara County that creates opportunities for better health and wellness for everyone, has committed $100,000 to Gavilan College to support students pursuing careers in healthcare, says a press release from Gavilan.  The donation is...

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition to stop the construction of an Amazon Data Services data center in northeast Gilroy.  Although the project has already obtained all the permits and approvals it needs from the City of Gilroy, data center opponents are hoping...

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...

A union of physicians earning up to $1 million a year is the biggest funder of the ballot measure to raise local sales taxes. A week after the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to raise county taxes, the county’s largest...

Santa Cruz and Monterey counties were included in a list of areas statewide where people have been severely sickened by Amanita phalloides—commonly known as the death cap mushroom. A group of doctors from across California warned Jan. 14 that foraging for wild mushrooms can be...

After Morgan Hill resident Kristina Andrews lost her daughter, Kourtney, to a drowning accident about six years ago, the local mother knew she wanted to do something to help prevent other families from suffering similar tragedies.  The desire to make a difference continued to grow...

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...

Gun violence is a public health crisis in the United States, and an upcoming firearms buyback event in Morgan Hill aims to address the problem by keeping unwanted weapons out of the wrong hands, according to county law enforcement and government officials.  Some of that...

The County of Santa Clara Household Hazardous Waste program is expanding access to a service that helps small businesses dispose of hazardous waste in a safe and cost effective manner. The county’s Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) disposal program is a dropoff service for businesses...