News

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department announced Jan. 26 two confirmed cases of a person infected with measles exposing residents locally at the Costco and Walmart stores in Gilroy on Jan. 18. An exposure was also reported the next day at Dave & Busters inside the Great Mall in Milpitas.

The Christopher boys basketball team went 1-1 last week against league opponents Seaside and Palma.

Police rammed a stolen vehicle that tried to avoid a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Safeway grocery store at Tennant Station Tuesday morning, according to authorities. Both occupants were arrested.About 7:30 a.m. Jan. 27, a Morgan Hill police officer saw a Dodge Durango traveling in the area of Tennant Station and determined the vehicle had been stolen out of Gilroy, according to MHPD Sgt. Bill Norman.Police attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the Durango continued traveling in an effort to evade officers, Norman said. As the Durango approached the driveway between Troy’s Bocce Ball and Safeway grocery store, MHPD patrol cars used a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT), ramming the stolen vehicle multiple times before the driver could no longer proceed.The Dodge ended up on a covered sidewalk in front of Troy’s Bocce Ball, with extensive damage.Norman’s patrol vehicle, a MHPD Chevrolet sport utility vehicle, was involved in the collision and showed front-end damage while he and other officers remained at the scene about 8 a.m.The male driver and female passenger of the Dodge were arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, Norman said. The driver is suspected of driving under the influence, and the female had “multiple warrants” for her arrest.The names of the suspects were not available at the scene.The only reported injuries in the incident were suffered by the female Dodge passenger, who complained of unspecified pain, Norman said.The shopping center—which includes a bagel shop, grocery store and gym which were open at the time—was bustling with activity when the incident happened. An employee of Safeway said officers approached the Dodge with guns drawn after the vehicle was stopped.Check back later for updates to this story.

Hollister police arrested a carjacking suspect after a vehicle theft at the local hospital Saturday and a subsequent pursuit.

The Gavilan men’s basketball team lost its third straight game, falling to Cabrillo 80-56 Friday at home.

GILROY—South County’s wrestlers have successfully defended their home turf on the first day of the Mid-California Classic wrestling tournament.

Each week we recognize one area male and female athlete for their performance on the field of play. This week's are:

Morgan Hill police are investigating offensive graffiti and other vandalism that appeared on the front walls of Paradise Valley Elementary School and neighboring properties sometime before the morning of Jan. 23, according to authorities.About 6:30 a.m., a custodian at the school noticed spray-painted tags on the school that included a swastika, the letters “KKK,” the name of the popular band “Metallica” and other “inappropriate signs, symbols and nondescript” drawings, according to Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Ray Ramos. The custodian promptly called police.The tagging at the school at 1400 La Crosse Drive was also found on concrete and doors outside the school, Ramos said.The resulting investigation also found similar tagging on the garage door of a nearby home. Two vehicles were also vandalized—one with a smashed windshield and another with more spray-painted graffiti, Ramos added.While some of the images depicted in the graffiti refer to intolerant or racist themes, police do not think the vandalism rises to the level of a hate crime due to the presence of other symbols or tags that do not necessarily support intolerance.Some of the tags included obscene drawings, rap lyrics and references to marijuana, authorities said.“We believe it was a group of juvenile adolescents who randomly targeted the school and adjacent house” and vehicles, Ramos said.The garage door that was vandalized was located at a private residence on La Escuela Court, police said.“Morgan Hill is an all-inclusive community that celebrates diversity, and our top priorities as a city and a school district are to support youth and keep our youth safe,” Ramos added.No suspects have been arrested or identified, and the investigation is ongoing, Ramos added. Investigators are reviewing surveillance video captured outside the school.Police do not yet know the estimated cost of the damages.School authorities were relieved that the school custodian noticed the vandalism and offensive tagging early enough so that staff could cover it up before parents and students arrived for school Friday morning, according to Morgan Hill Unified School District Human Resources Director Fawn Myers.She added that school officials will continue to work with police during the investigation so the community can “keep our neighborhood safe and keep our public spaces clean.”“I know the Paradise community is a close community, and it’s disheartening when a public space is vandalized, because all of us feel vulnerable,” Myers said.

Thomas J. Bundros, who served three terms as a Gilroy schools trustee and earned the love and respect of colleagues and constituents for his dedication to his family and schools, died Wednesday after a years-long battle with cancer. He was 67.

More than a week has passed since Diana Armbruster discovered her family's beloved 17-year-old Arabian mare missing from their south Gilroy home.