Local mother on a mission to prevent child drownings
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...
Cat declawing, book censorship among new 2026 laws
Every year, lawmakers in Sacramento introduce a flurry of bills, most of which are eviscerated during the legislative process and end up on the Assembly or Senate trash heap. A select few make it to the governor’s desk, and assuming they dodge the veto...
County supes approve multi-faceted approach to fentanyl crisis
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved amping up services and resources to combat the fentanyl crisis with money from opioid lawsuit settlements and other grants.
San Jose has been dubbed a “fentanyl hub,” and Supervisor Cindy Chavez established the county’s...
PG&E offers free gas safety inspections at local homes
To help customers prepare their gas appliances for safe use during the cold months ahead, Pacific Gas and Electric Company is offering free in-home gas safety checks, the utility company said in a press release. During the gas safety checks, PG&E also will re-light...
South Valley nonprofit marks 15 years saving people and dogs
He’d been waiting years for a service dog—years marked by crippling anxiety, years of waitlists, years of prices he couldn’t hope to pay. Running out of options, the Marine veteran called a local dog trainer named Mary Cortani and made a desperate plea.
That call...
Conservationists buy 2,284 acres of Sargent Ranch property
The Peninsula Open Space Trust purchased 2,284 acres of ranchland in southern Santa Clara County for $23 million, the organization announced Jan. 29. The acquisition brings POST’s total holdings at the former Sargent Ranch property to 6,114 acres and preserves sacred native land that...
Volunteers pick up tons of garbage on Coastal Cleanup Day
Events at 52 local sites on Coastal Cleanup Day, Sept. 23, resulted in the removal of a number of unusual discarded items, including an ATM machine, iMac computer, a counterfeit $100 bill, a sign declaring “Not a Through Street,” a Statue of Liberty figurine,...
Conservationists purchase 1,986-acre ranch in Morgan Hill
A regional land preservation organization recently purchased a 1,986-acre ranch in west Morgan Hill, pledging to permanently protect the property that includes sweeping views and critical wildlife crossings, as well as homes for native and endangered species.
The Peninsula Open Space Trust announced on April...
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...
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...























