Local News

Gilroy officials are considering asking the voters to approve an increase of the city’s transient occupancy tax—commonly referred to as the hotel tax—up to a total of 13% of visitors’ short-term lodging rentals.  The current hotel tax rate in Gilroy is 9%, which officials noted...

I am always joyful when I get the opportunity to help someone in need, especially when I know what I do will be just what that person needs. When I heard about how hard Jamaica was hit by Hurricane Melissa, I started looking for...

Due to the increasing fire danger, Cal Fire is suspending all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within the State Responsibility Area of Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and the western portions of Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, says a press release from the...

With the Bay Area currently showing the highest Covid-19 infection rates in California, health officers are reminding people of the importance of safety precautions such as continued masking indoors and vaccine boosters. The current wave of infections is fueled by the highly contagious Omicron subvariants,...

By Grace Hase For a few hours on Monday it seemed as though gyms, salons and other indoor operations would remain open in Santa Clara County, despite orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom to shut down businesses in jurisdictions on the state’s Covid-19 watch list. But that all changed...

Photographer and filmmaker Kirti Bassendine is bringing her documentary film “Contemporary Indigenous Voices of California’s South Coast Range” to an exclusive audience in Morgan Hill on Jan. 21.  The film explores the cultural practices and personal stories of 10 tribal community members calling attention to...

The Gilroy City Council on Feb. 26 rejected a proposed resolution calling for an Israel-Gaza ceasefire.  The council’s vote followed more than an hour of public comments presented by more than 70 people in the audience who spoke passionately about whether a local resolution on...

Don and Lisa Billips have been decorating their Church Street yard and home for Halloween every year since they moved in about a decade ago.  Each year, their decorations become more and more intricate, with more props, bigger characters and better ideas. Now, Don said...

The City of Gilroy is searching for a new city clerk after Thai Pham resigned from the position earlier this month. Pham was appointed Gilroy City Clerk in 2021.  At the Feb. 26 Gilroy City Council meeting, the council unanimously approved the appointment of Beth...

The Christopher High football team proved it could hang with an upper-tier A-league team like San Benito High. But now the Cougars have a golden opportunity to show they can actually beat a perennial Central Coast Section power when they play host to Aptos...