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...
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...
Valley Water to expand creek cleanup program
On Aug. 22, the Valley Water Board of Directors allocated additional resources to support greater service and coordination toward cleaning up trash, debris and hazardous pollutants produced by encampments along waterways in Santa Clara County.
The board approved two new staff positions, adding to Valley...
UC Santa Cruz secures 2,400-acre ranch in San Benito County
UC Santa Cruz recently acquired and established the Strathearn Ranch Natural Reserve, a 2,400-acre oak-studded grassland property in San Benito County that will be used for field research and outdoor education for the university’s students, staff and researchers.
The UC Board of Regents approved the...
Santa Clara County Parks open for free on July 29
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation will host a special Free Entrance Day on July 29 “as a token of gratitude to the community for entrusting the department with the stewardship and recreation of over 52,000 acres of beautiful parkland and 28 adventurous and...
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,...
County celebrates opening of expanded Valley Health Center Morgan Hill
The new Valley Health Center clinic in Morgan Hill—formerly known as the De Paul Health Center—is now open, offering expanded healthcare coverage for residents of South County and surrounding areas.
The new health clinic now known as VHC Morgan Hill—which includes a fully remodeled urgent...
State weakens plan for mandatory water cuts
Facing criticism over their ambitious plan to curb urban water use, California’s regulators Tuesday weakened the proposed rules—giving water providers more years and flexibility to comply.
Cities and urban water districts welcome the changes to the state’s draft conservation rules, which they said would have...
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...
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...























