Local News

The Poppy Jasper International Film Festival (PJIFF) on Feb. 27 announced its full film lineup for its 2023 edition.  This year’s festival—which will screen at venues in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Hollister and San Juan Bautista—will take place April 12-19.  The complete PJIFF program includes features, documentaries,...

Splitting the defense on her way to the basket, freshman guard Kaycee Carasco showed the future is now for the Christopher High girls basketball team.  The Cougars, who beat Live Oak High 48-14 in their season-opener on Nov. 23, are balanced, deep and have talented...

Two Morgan Hill children died in a five-vehicle traffic collision on Highway 152 east of Gilroy in Santa Clara County the morning of Jan. 12, according to the California Highway Patrol.  CHP officers responded to the scene of the crash just after 7am. The initial...

A Gilroy day care operator stalked and sexually molested her foster child and engaged in Satanic rituals, according to allegations in documents reviewed by the Gilroy Dispatch. Santa Clara County officials filed a July 31 criminal complaint that details the charges against Christina Jean Johnson,...

Gilroy resident Alan Viarengo, who taught math at Gavilan College for nearly 20 years, was arrested last week on suspicion of stalking and threatening Santa Clara County’s public health officer, and police say he has ties to the anti-government domestic terrorist group known as “Boogaloo.”

Two candidates seeking to become Santa Clara County’s next Assessor emphasized their contrasting backgrounds and visions for modernizing the office during a Meet the Candidate forum Sept. 8 at the Morgan Hill Grange. Yan Zhao, a Saratoga city council member and two-term mayor, and Neysa...

The knockouts keep coming for Jesse James Guerrero. The recent Mount Madonna High School graduate is 4-0 in his brief professional boxing career entering his July 23 bantamweight match in Rosarito, Mexico.  All of his bouts have been in Mexico and all have been decided...

Gilroy Little League 10U All Star Manager Merritt Billington said winning wasn’t as simple as writing a lineup card and sending the players out onto the field, but it was close.  “I’ve got 13 kids with tons of talent, tons of ability, and it’s not...

A Bay Area nonprofit launched an emergency weekend meal program last weekend in partnership with the Gilroy Unified School District, and is planning to serve 500 children and their families every Saturday and Sunday in November.  The program, led by Community Seva, was launched in...

The Christopher High football team didn’t gain any style points in its 20-0 victory against Alisal High on Oct. 21, but then again, artistic value wasn’t necessary.  “We were looking at this as kind of a playoff game,” Cougars coach Darren Yafai said. “We had...