News

Gilroyans say the Alexander Station Apartments, a $95 million project on the corner of 10th Street and Alexander, will be filled with residents bused in from Oakland and will lower the quality of the neighborhood. They say there aren’t enough classrooms for the kids and the future students will be bused to far away schools, rather than those they can walk to.

Tyler Fhurong, of Gilroy, and Darren Chaytor, of Hollister, were killed instantly at 5:20 a.m. on Wednesday in South Sacramento in a car accident on Interstate 5 north of Laguna Boulevard.  The vehicle, a 2007 Isuzu panel truck driven by Chaytor, 31, with Fhurong, 21, in the passenger seat, collided at high speed with the rear end of a semi-truck pulling a trailer that was stopped in traffic by a previous accident that morning northbound on I-5. The driver of the semi-truck, after feeling the impact of the collision, pulled to the shoulder of the highway with the Isuzu still attached. According to the California Highway Patrol, both the driver and passenger were not wearing seatbelts, but due to speed and the location of the Isuzu's cab and the impact with the trailer, it is not likely that either would have survived the accident. Fhurong, a graduate of Christopher High School in 2014, was a former baseball and football player and was an infielder with the Gavilan College baseball team.  Friends of Fhurong took to Twitter and Facebook immediately after hearing the news and expressed their condolences and shared fond memories.  "I can't believe this happened... I don't know why bad things happen to good people, it's unfortunate Rest In Peace," said Alexa Larios on Facebook as she shared memories they shared in high school. "RIP Tyler Fhurong," said Damon Boyle on Facebook. "Taken way too soon. Honored to play ball and have gotten to know you back in high school." "I'll never understand," said @Zachloo1 on Twitter. "Condolences to the Fhurong family and everyone else affected. The epitome of a good guy. RIP Tyler." "RIP Tyler Fhurong," said @Akber408. "Another homie let into heavens gates and into Gods hands. Prayer and Love to his family!!" CHP reports that the vehicle was owned by Nor-Cal Specialties Inc. in San Jose. The company could not be reached to confirm.  

San Juan Bautista planning commissioners will revisit an ambitious proposal to transform a nearby 550-acre ranch into a world-class car racing destination at its regular meeting next week. On August 1, the five-member board will hear from WY2M, Inc., a Los Gatos-based company that wants to bring Formula One Grand Prix and GP Moto Racing to San Benito County.

Seniors living in Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy, have reason to celebrate. As of July, free door-to-door transportation service to local senior centers is available to them, thanks to Sourcewise, an organization that provides support to seniors and individuals with disabilities, in Santa Clara County.

With nearly 39 years under its belt, the Gilroy Garlic Festival has had some time to fine-tune the visitor experience. Below are the top things everyone needs to know.

Gilroyans say the Alexander Station Apartments, a $95 million project on the corner of 10th Street and Alexander, will be filled with residents bused in from Oakland and will lower the quality of the neighborhood. They say there aren’t enough classrooms for the kids and the future students will be bused to far away schools, rather than those they can walk to.

You can’t eat it, smell it or braid it, but in the nearly quarter century since its creation it has become an iconic symbol of the city that garlic put on the international map.

For Bartenders Union Local 408, a new bar that will open where the old El Azteca Bar was on Monterey Road, owner and operator Dustin Evanger had a simple philosophy in mind. What kind of bar would a bartender want?

A woman with ties to Gilroy and San Benito County died Saturday, July 22, after a short chase with Gilroy police.A recent press release indicated a police officer attempted to stop the woman, identified as 28-year-old Rya Leonard, at 2:25 p.m. near First Street and Wren Avenue.According to Sgt. Jason Smith, Leonard initially appeared to comply with police.“The officer ran the plate, determined the vehicle was stolen and then when he tried to stop the vehicle, the vehicle initially went at a slow speed and pulled into the CVS parking lot,” said Smith. “She slowed down as if she was going to stop and then sped off.”According to the press release, Leonard then sped away southbound on Wren and crashed into a tree at the corner of Wren Avenue and San Miguel Street, where she was trapped inside the vehicle. Leonard was extricated from the vehicle and suffered from major injuries before dying at a nearby hospital, police say.Smith added that Leonard had a couple warrants for her arrest. “She was on probation for possession of a stolen vehicle,” Smith said. “So we can assume that she knew that vehicle was stolen but unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to talk with her about it.”It was later determined that the plate on the 1990s black Honda was altered to make it appear as if it was a different plate, said Smith.The speeds Leonard was reaching on city streets are unknown.“Seconds before the crash the officer estimated he was travelling approx 60 miles an hour,” said Smith. “To determine the exact speed of her vehicle we have the Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) conducting the investigation.”Smith noted that the Gilroy Police Department does have a “comprehensive policy” regarding high speed chases.“The primary purpose of the policy is to provide officers with guidance in balancing the safety of the public and themselves against law enforcement’s duty to apprehend violators of the law,” said Smith.“I would say that deciding whether to pursue a motor vehicle is a critical decision that must be made quickly and under difficult and unpredictable circumstances,” Smith added. “The preliminary facts of the case show the officer was within policy and the law. The final determination will be made once the investigation is completed.”Leonard’s mother Carol Leonard of Tennessee who last spoke with her daughter two months ago said, “Rya was an amazing young lady. She had a heart of gold.”According to her mother, Leonard leaves behind a daughter who will be 10 in August. Leonard did not live with the child. “She loved her daughter more than anything in this world of course,” Carol said. “She loved her brother and sister, Robert and Sarah.”Cousin Todd Leonard of Gustine, California said, “She went to school in both Santa Benito and Santa Clara Counties.”“She went between her mom’s and her dad’s [Gilroy and Hollister],” said Todd. “She had been with her dad from the time she was about 13 or 14.”Leonard’s cousin said she was loyal to her family.“I used to think she was a good kid, but good kids don’t usually go out and steal cars and crash them running from the cops, but she was a caring person,” Todd said. “I wish she cared a little bit more about herself. She had a very hard life and unfortunately there weren’t enough people in her life to give her examples of the right way to do things.”“Rya had a lot of friends and they all loved her she cared about others before caring about herself,” Carol said.