San Benito County Local News

San Juan Bautista’s history and—perhaps more importantly—preserving that history were among the subjects of the joint March 4 Historic Resources Board & Planning Commission Meeting.  

In December 2024, the Pinnacles National Park Condor Reestablishment Program released its 2023 annual report outlining the status of the Central California flock, which the park manages in partnership with the Ventana Wildlife Society.

Food Truck Tuesdays will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on San Benito Street between Sixth and Seventh streets until Apr. 8.

For the last three years, the Community Foundation for San Benito’s Epicenter building in downtown Hollister has been a hub for nonprofit work and organizing.

Frankie Berlanga’s family business, El Nopal Panaderia and Tortilla Factory in Hollister, supplies about 14,000 fresh tortillas a year to the Community Food Bank of San Benito County—reliably providing a cultural staple for the kitchens and dinner tables of local families and residents in need.

A series of public meetings is scheduled to provide commuters with more information about the changes coming to the Highway 101 and State Route 25 Interchange.

San Benito County students from TK to 12th grade are invited to participate in this year’s Keep San Benito Bonito” Recology Poster Contest! Submissions must be received by March 14, 2025.

The Gilroy City Council will transition to district elections after receiving a demand letter under the California Voting Rights Act.

On March 3, the Hollister City Council unanimously voted to repeal the 2040 General Plan following a successful referendum effort by local activist group Hollister Guardians Action. The state-mandated General Plan serves as the city’s blueprint for growth.

More than 40 local organizations came together on March 1 to participate in Hollister Downtown Association’s Fourth Annual Youth Expo at the Veterans’ Memorial Building.

“Contemporary Indigenous Voices of California’s South Coast Range” is a unique and thought provoking exhibit coming to San Benito County starting Friday, March 15. The exhibition of rich and colorful portraits by documentary photographer and filmmaker Kirti Bassendine features Indigenous community members from the South Coast Range.

On Feb. 27, registered nurses working at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital presented five demands to the San Benito Health Care District Board of Directors which they want to see included in the proposed lease/purchase agreement with Insight Health.

More than 1,200 participants filed in and out of Hollister High School’s Mattson Gym this weekend—every seven minutes, a team rolled in its robots, while volunteers rushed into the field of play, clearing and resetting the game for the next group. 

Over 40 teams from six divisions attended the Opening Ceremony of the Hollister Little League at Veterans Memorial Park on Feb. 28. “We have over 540 players here in Hollister," said Eric Gauar, president of the Miami team. “I always look forward to the fresh cut grass and kids' faces when they come out.”

The San Benito County Arts Council along with lead partners, the Arts Council for Monterey County and the Arts Council Santa Cruz County, are excited to announce their selection as one of 36 grantees in a competitive grant program to advance economic resilience, sustainability and growth across the Central Coast.

The National Audubon Society proudly announces that Paicines Ranch in California's San Benito County has earned the bird-friendly land certification through Audubon's Conservation Ranching program. This certification recognizes Paicines Ranch's commitment to managing its 7,000-plus acres of central California rangeland for the benefit of birds and biodiversity.

As the new chair of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors, and also the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), Kollin Kosmicki gave a 180-degree turn to the agency watching over the boundaries of the county’s two cities and nine special districts.