Health

Don't call it a tripledemic—yet.  Influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid-19 are circulating this fall, but not yet at the rate that worried public health agencies a year ago.  As we approach the time of winter when these diseases usually peak, around December to February,...

Gilroy Assistance League has announced the opening of its 2026 Grants Program, with applications available beginning Jan. 5.  The annual Grants Program supports local youth-focused organizations and programs that provide meaningful services to children and teens throughout the Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill communities, says...

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Sen. Nancy Skinner announced a proposal Dec. 5 to penalize oil companies in an effort to deter gas price gouging. The proposal would make it illegal for oil companies to charge excessive refining margins—the price difference between the cost of...

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...

Winter’s gone and sunny spring days prompt us to step outside and work in our gardens. Don’t worry, expert advice is near. Seven private gardens will be open to the public from 10am-4pm May 11. The Garden Tour is an opportunity to explore the...

Valley Water crews have dug about 160 feet into a giant tunnel that will be able to divert massive volumes of water out of Anderson Reservoir when the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project is completed.  The 20-foot diameter tunnel—which will be 1,750 feet long when...

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...

Santa Clara County Supervisors on Sept. 12 will discuss how to spend the nearly $50 million in opioid settlement cash the county will be getting to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis.   Taking the lead on the issue is Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who said she...

The California State Assembly Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction and Overdose Prevention on Aug. 12 during an informational hearing discussed the urgency of combating the rise in overdose deaths among youth in recent years primarily due to ingesting fentanyl.  Between 2019 and 2021, drug...

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...