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Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies will be conducting a DUI warrant sweep in an effort to hold accountable those impaired driving suspects who have failed to show up to previous scheduled court dates, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies will be fanning out into neighborhoods throughout the County in the coming days “in search of high-risk DUI offenders,” the press release says. The deputies will be serving warrants and arresting those who either failed to show up for a court date or violated the terms of their probation on an outstanding DUI violation.“The best bet for anyone with a missed DUI court date is to go to court on their own now,” said Sheriff’s Sgt. Rick Turini. “If you don’t, that warrant isn’t going away. We’re going to come find you and take you to jail.” DUI suspects apprehended by warrant sweep often face additional jail time for failing to appear in court or for violating probation, authorities said. Special DUI warrant service operations along with regularly scheduled “high visibility” DUI enforcement has a deterrent effect on those who disregard driving safety and abuse alcohol and drugs, police said. Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The accolades continue to roll in for the Gavilan football team.

Please donate through Melanoma Research Foundation: http://www.melanoma.org. Services at St. Catherine's Church, Morgan Hill, CA, December 18th 2013, at 10:00 A.M., Condolences: http://bit.ly/terencehoward

The City of Gilroy is still looking for volunteers to fill 28 open seats on 13 different City boards, commissions and committees, according to City Clerk Shawna Freels. The deadline, originally Dec. 3, has been extended to Dec. 30.

The countywide winter holiday anti-DUI crackdown so far has netted 85 arrests of motorists on suspicion of impaired driving, according to a Santa Clara County Sheriff’s spokesman. The arrests were made by officers from 13 law enforcement agencies throughout the county from Dec. 13 until midnight Sunday, Dec. 15, according to Sheriff’s Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup. Last year, officers arrested 104 DUI suspects during the same three-day time period, Stenderup said. The arrests were the result of DUI checkpoints and extra officers on patrol for the annual “Avoid the 13” DUI crackdown, police said. The winter holiday crackdown period will continue through Jan. 1, 2014, and will include a DUI checkpoint Friday at an undisclosed location within the City limits, according to police. Funding for the Avoid the 13 program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

Evan Shapiro continues to stay hot for Christopher. The senior led the Cougars boys basketball team in scoring for the second straight game, putting up 13 points in a 43-34 win over Lincoln in the Consolation Championship game of the Los Gatos Wildcat Shootout Friday. Three players — Josh Wheat, Adam Bravo and Miika Smith — put up eight points in the game while Chad Hartman had six. The win improves the Cougars to 3-1 on the season. Christopher will be back in action at 5 p.m. Thursday to take on Aptos in the Bob Hagen Memorial Tournament at Gilroy High School.  Mustangs fall in home opener If the Gilroy boys basketball team had to name one thing that hurt it Friday, it would be turnovers. The Mustangs had more than 15 turnovers in their 56-35 loss to Monterey in their home opener Friday.  Gilroy only went 2 for 5 from the line and was only able to hit one of its six 3-point attempts.  The Mustangs only trailed by one, 16-15, after the first quarter but were held to single digits for the remaining three while Monterey was able to put up 11, 18 and 11 points in the second, third and fourth, respectively.  Gilroy will look to rebound as it hosts the 34th Annual Bob Hagen Memorial Tournament, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday vs. Anzar — a team it beat 64-34  on Dec. 10.  GIRLS BASKETBALL Cougars take third in Watsonville Tourney Cydney Caradonna put up a career-high 30 points for Christopher Saturday. The senior led the team to a 66-41 win over San Benito in the third place game of the Watsonville Tournament. Caradonna was named to the All Tournament Team for her performance through the three days.  Christopher held the Balers to just 15 points in the second half while putting up 40 points of its own. Dejah Raoof and Haley Romero complemented Caradonna with 10 points each. 

St. Joseph’s Family Center is in need of about 300 more turkeys in order to provide Christmas dinner for local families, according to the nonprofit center’s staff. Turkey donations can be dropped off at St. Joseph’s Family Center in Gilroy, at 7950 Church Street, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations of money are also accepted. Center staff are scrambling to acquire enough turkeys to provide its food pantry clients with the supplies for a traditional holiday dinner, according to St. Joseph’s food pantry coordinator Vicki Smith. The center plans to distribute the turkeys with the food pantry clients’ December food baskets by Saturday, Dec. 20, Smith said. Some of the turkeys will also be cooked and served for the center’s Lord’s Table Christmas dinner which takes place 12 to 3 p.m. Dec. 25 at St. Joseph’s Family Center. If they get enough donations by Dec. 20, the center plans to provide about 700 families with turkeys this month, Smith said. Specifically, the center is asking for turkeys about 10 to 13 pounds in size, Smith said. For more information about making donations to the St. Joseph’s Family Center food pantry, call (408) 842-6662, extension 26. 

After suffering a heartbreaking loss the day before, the Christopher boys basketball team wanted to be sure that didn't happen again. Four Cougars scored in double digits, helping their team to a 69-49 win over Del Mar Thursday at the Los Gatos Wildcat shootout. Christopher had lost by just one point, 70-69, in double overtime in the tournament opener and had to win to stay alive. Senior Evan Shapiro and junior Josh Wheat led the charge for CHS by both scoring 14 points in the game.  Senior Shane Suttles added 11 points, while junior Chad Hartman put up 10. Christopher (2-1) will continue play in the tournament at 5 p.m. today against Lincoln in Los Gatos for the Consolation Championship.  GIRLS BASKETBALL Christopher wins nailbitter  Talk about a close one. The Christopher girls basketball team fended off a 16-point fourth quarter burst from Pacific Collegiate to win 48-47in the opening round of the Watsonville Classic Thursday. The Cougars led 34-31 heading into the final quarter and were outscored by their opponents. Luckily for CHS, its lead was just enough to escape PC.  Christa Arroya hit four 3-pointers in the game and led the attack with 18 points. Dejah Raoof had 11 points — included two 3-pointers — and Cydney Caradonna scored 10. 

At approximately 1:42 p.m. Friday, the California Highway Patrol responded to a motorcycle accident on U.S. 101 at the Masten Avenue exit in Gilroy. Based on the CHP's incident report, a helicopter is en route to provide aid to the “severely injured” driver.