Federal monitor moves county from ‘Severe’ to ‘Moderate’ drought
With seemingly constant rain storms pummeling the South Bay so far this winter, a federal drought monitoring program recently downgraded most of Santa Clara County from “Severe” to “Moderate” drought. But local water supply authorities warn that residents and property owners should continue to...
As school begins, make a fresh start
This time of year, many of us think about going back to school, for ourselves or for our children or grandchildren. There are all sorts of questions: Who is taking children to school? Do we have the correct supplies? Who is making the lunches?...
Thousands of volunteers join 40th annual Coastal Cleanup
Thousands of volunteers flocked to the California coast and waterways on Sept. 21 to participate in the 40th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day.
The event, which is the largest single-day volunteer event in the world, according to Guinness World Records, invited eco-friendly volunteers across the...
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....
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,...
Public health department conducts door-to-door survey in South County
Over the next few days, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department will be conducting a door-to-door survey in Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy.
The goal of the survey is to improve the county’s understanding of the community’s thoughts and knowledge on climate change,...
Coroner identifies two who died in head-on crash on Highway 25
Two people—one a Hollister resident and one from Gilroy—died in a collision on Highway 25 near the border between Santa Clara and San Benito counties, according to authorities.
The Santa Clara County Coroner and Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims of the fatal accident as...
San Martin ‘treasure’ Kenneth Ludewig dies
Lifelong San Martin resident Kenneth Ludewig, a local “treasure” who brought joy to countless South Valley residents as the creator and operator of the former San Martin Country Park & Pumpkin Patch, died unexpectedly on Nov. 7, according to family members. He was 74...
Local Scene: Teen opportunity fair scheduled for March 23 at Gilroy Library
An event for teens, hosted by teens
The Gilroy Youth Commission will host the OpportuniTEEN Fair on March 23 for all high school aged students who are interested in more information about local businesses and organizations.
The inaugural event will feature local companies (including Gap, Gilroy...
Photos: Winter persists in Gilroy
The wild and suspenseful saga that is the winter of 2023 continues, with the latest chapter bringing rare snowfall to South Valley—not just once, but multiple times since last week—blanketing the hills above Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister with accumulated frozen precipitation.
Some locations in...























