Local News

California lifted most of its Covid-19 restrictions and officially reopened Tuesday, marking the moment with state-subsidized vacation giveaways and $15 million in vaccine lottery prizes as it emerged from the pandemic politically divided but economically formidable. One of the last U.S. states to reopen, California...

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., sentenced Mariposa Castro, of Gilroy, to 45 days in jail Feb. 23 for her participation in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Castro, also known as Imelda Castro, was also ordered to pay a $5,000...

Girls soccer talent is abundant in the city of Gilroy, and the proof is in the success of the high school teams. Christopher and Gilroy are both a win away from meeting each other in the Central Coast Section Division III championship match.  The Cougars...

Esperanza del Valle, Pajaro Valley’s long-standing Mexican folklorico dance group, is preparing for the “Reinforcing Cultural Identity” conference coming to Cabrillo College on Aug. 15-25. The group will welcome Ballet Folklórico del Puerto de Veracruz de la Universidad Veracruzana, from Mexico, to offer a series...

Organizers for the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival released the full lineup of films for the 2022 event, which will take place April 6-13. This year’s hybrid festival will feature both virtual and in-person screenings and events, says a press release from PJIFF. In-person events...

The last time 16-year-old sophomore Nola Matthews was doing traditional in-person schooling was as a fourth-grader at Las Animas School.  That’s because the Gilroy resident long set on a path that has her now competing as an Elite Senior level gymnast. If a gymnast wants...

Valley Water this week began draining Anderson Reservoir in preparation for a seismic retrofit of the body’s dam in east Morgan Hill, but Gov. Gavin Newsom also vetoed a state assembly bill that would have expedited the project that the water district has been planning for more than 10 years.

Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) named Kathy Zanger Ruiz the 2021 Woman of the Year for Assembly District 30 on March 15. Ruiz was honored as part of the Women’s History Month celebration hosted by the Legislative Women’s Caucus. “I am proud to recognize Kathy Ruiz...

Talk about burnishing a legacy: the 2021-2022 Christopher High girls soccer team capped the greatest season in program history with a 1-0 win over Pioneer High in the CIF NorCal Regional Division IV championship match on March 5. The Cougars won league, section (again) and...

A motorcyclist died and his passenger was severely injured Nov. 22 when his bike collided with a car on Watsonville Road near Morgan Hill.  According to the California Highway Patrol, around 2:45pm, a 68-year-old man on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle was driving eastbound on Uvas Road...