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...
State to lift indoor mask requirements for unvaccinated, schools, child care
California will lift its indoor mask requirements Tuesday for unvaccinated people and March 12 for schools and child care facilities, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Feb. 28.
The changes will mark the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began that both unvaccinated people and students will...
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...
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?...
County sales tax, Prop 50 win big in Nov. 4 election
With 100% of precinct ballots counted, Santa Clara County voters on Nov. 4 overwhelmingly supported adding 0.625% to the county sales tax rate for five years.
As of 10am, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office reported 200,430 YES votes and 152,850 NO votes,...
Gavilan College opens food pantry on Hollister campus
To ensure students get basic nutrition, Gavilan College opened a food pantry with a ceremonial ribbon cutting Feb. 25 on its Hollister campus.
The well-stocked room is a collaboration between the college and the Community FoodBank of San Benito. Annette Gutierrez, Gavilan’s director of basic...
Love and stress during the holidays
To call Keith Larson a superfan of “A Christmas Story” might be an understatement.
The San Jose native still remembers that clear winter day as a 9-year-old in 1983, when the power tripped off in his neighborhood without a known reason.
On a whim, the family...
Roundabout construction continues at Highways 25, 156
Construction of a new traffic roundabout at the intersection of State Routes 25 and 156 near Hollister continues this week with work taking place behind protective concrete barriers, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Recently installed K-rail at all four approaches to the construction...
Developer scales back Sargent Mine plans
In an effort to minimize impacts on wildlife and tribal resources, as well as to satisfy critics of the proposed Sargent Mine in southern Santa Clara County, the project’s applicant recently offered to scale back their original plans for the property.
However, some of those...
Expansion to increase South County recycled water capacity
An expansion project underway at the South County Regional Wastewater plant will increase the treatment facility’s capacity by nearly 30%, bring advanced technology to the local recycled water production system, tighten South Valley’s commitment to sustainability and help accommodate the long-term growth coming to...






















