Health

Dr. Sara Cody—a nationally recognized public health official who was a leader and a pioneer in the Bay Area’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic—has announced her retirement from her position as Santa Clara County Health Officer.  Cody has served the county for more than 25...

Santa Clara County has earmarked more than $8 million in local funds for immigration related services in the recently adopted 2025-26 budget.  The funding builds on the county’s previous investments in services for the immigrant community that include an emergency $5 million allocation in 2024...

To coin a cliché, hot enough for you? Sure, I’ve lived here long enough to know that some of the hottest days of 2024 have yet to hit us; still, we’ve already had our fair share of some terribly toasty temps.  You longtime readers know...

May is National Bicycle Safety Month, and Gilroy Police are encouraging everyone to participate safely and reminding drivers to be extra alert for more people pedaling and walking on the roads.  “Everyone deserves to reach their destination safely,” Gilroy Police Sgt. Michael McMahon said. “Unfortunately,...

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...

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...

A non-native Aedes aegypti mosquito—an aggressive species that can spread certain diseases—has been discovered in a residential area of Gilroy, according to the Santa Clara County Vector Control District. A mosquito of the same species was also found recently in a neighborhood of east...

While transmission of respiratory syncytial virus has begun to plateau in Santa Clara County, the county's top health official said Tuesday that Covid-19 and flu transmission continue to rise. Covid virus concentration in each of the county's sewersheds in San Jose, Palo Alto, Gilroy and...

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...

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...