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FEATURED
Gratitude
In an effort to bridge the nursing shortage, the Edward Boss Prado Foundation has committed $25K to Gavilan Collegeâs nursing program to cover all fees for completing a degree for at least five students.
Ecology Action
Listed under: Environment Transportation Water Sustainability
Happy 5th Anniversary to our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening!
Hollister High Seniors Earn California State Seal of Biliteracy
Ninety-four seniors in the Hollister High School Class of 2023 have earned recognition demonstrating that they attained proficiency in English and at least one other language.
Hollister High Softball Makes History With CCS Open Division Championship Win
The Hollister High softball team was the underdog going into its Central Coast Section Open Division championship game against St. Francis.
From CalMatters...
The New Payday Loans? California Moves to Regulate Cash Advance Apps
In May, a video featuring a young woman named Brooklyn in heart-shaped glasses implored viewers to tell the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation how important a company named EarnIn was to their day-to-day life. EarnIn is part of a relatively new app-based industry that provides cash advances to people based on their wages.
The One Big Flaw in Californiaâs Local Redistricting Reforms
The state Assembly has passed legislation to require large cities, counties and school districts to use independent commissions to redraw districts for their governing boards, but the measure exempts five major counties.
Gilroy School Board Selects Next Superintendent
Anisha Munshi will be the new superintendent of Gilroy Unified School District, following Deborah Floresâ retirement after 16 years at the helm.
Highway 156 Construction Site âStands Downâ for Mental Health
Held at the Highway 156 Improvement Project in San Juan Bautista, the stand-down called on the construction industry to recognize the importance of mental health for workersâ safety and well-being.
CA Legislature Beats Deadline on Key Bills
The deadline for bills to pass their first house in the California Legislature has come and gone. Most made it. A few failed. And a handful of intriguing bills that didnât pass may resurface because their authors arenât giving up.
In Fight Over Digital Privacy, California Seeks to Ban âReverse Search Warrantsâ
California is considering banning the use of âreverse search warrants,â which compel tech companies to disclose the identities of individuals based on the location of their phone and internet search history. Abortion activists call it vital.
Hospital Board Approves Bankruptcy Filing
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital officials say a Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing is their only option to keep the Hollister hospital functioningâthough perhaps eventually with reduced services.
The New York Times Magazine spends an entire issue explaining why California matters, and CalMatters wins gold for giving the state the coverage it deserves.
Renewable energy sources provided 37 percent of California electricity in 2021, a new record for the state as it moves toward its 2045 goal of 100 percent clean energy. Battery storage will play a huge role in reaching that goal.
Californiaâs new CARE Court system that compels treatment for people with severe mental illness is set to roll out in seven counties this October, despite efforts by civil liberties groups to stop it.
Letâs face some hard factsâand still be able to celebrate the beginning of the best season of the year.
A new analysis shows that the California State University system doesnât make or receive enough money to cover its costs, even with state support. The report and lawmakers urge the system to increase tuition, but even that might not be âŚ
More than 4 percent of death penalty convicts have been wrongfully convicted, data shows. But courts including the U.S. Supreme Court have failed to provide protections for the innocent facing death at the hands of the state.
The death penalty remains legal in California, but Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a moratorium on executions in 2019. Will capital punishment end in the state? Hereâs whatâs happening.
California will cut use of water from the Colorado River drastically under a new agreement announced by the Biden Administration on May 22. Nevada and Arizona have also agreed to the cuts.
You probably know that The Newsletter goes out only to California Local members and subscribers. Today I am writing to bring the good news that we have just been given two big awards.
Voting is just the beginning. Stay connected with your representatives to make sure your government is working for you.
We've made it one-click convenient for members to contact their elected representatives.
On the Santa Cruz City Council, then as mayor, and then as county supervisor, Ryan Coonerty learned to love politics.
The California Supreme Court has kept the state at the forefront of legal issues surrounding abortion, the death penalty and same-sex marriage, starting in its earliest days in the Gold Rush era.
The stateâs most important industry relies on workers who are not given a chance to obtain legal status.
The future of farming in California is changing as the planet warms, altering the rain and heat patterns that guide which crops are grown where. âWeâre adjusting for survival,â one grower said.
California stands as Americaâs agricultural powerhouse, growing half of its fruits and vegetables. Hereâs how California farming has shaped the state, from the early missions to todayâs âfactories in the field.â
How the SF state senator was changed by California; how our great state spawned a cultural phenomenon; how many Californians are being denied life's most basic necessity.
Comics may have been born in New York, but they came of age in California. And thereâs more to the story than San Francisco comix.
Members of the California Legislature took nearly $1 million worth of trips sponsored by interest groups in 2022. The California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy accounted for 40% of the travel spending. Over the years, some of its âŚ
Ezra Klein talks to state Sen. Scott Wiener about why progressive policies have failed in a state with no Republicans in power.
San Benito County Newsletter
Weekly digest of curated state and local news, upcoming government meetings and community events.
Congratulations
On May 10, the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce & Foundation held its 2nd Annual in-person Pathways Empowerment Program Scholarship Awards Night hosted at Swank Farms. The SBC Chamber and Foundation firmly believe that investing in youth contributes to the communityâs overall economic and social wellbeing.
The Womenâs Club of Hollister has announced its 2023 Scholarship Awards, given to young women who have shown academic excellence, are leaders in their school, and have contributed to San Benito County with their community service.
Birth
Three Boy Scouts rose to the Eagle Scout Court of Honor on May 13 in Hollister. Carter Eggers, Joshua Ong, and Spencer Arrington received the Eagle Scout charge. Earning the Eagle Scout charge is a lengthy process. All Boy Scouts have stashes with badges representing merit.
Hollisterâs Jenny Cullumber, who was named the 2023 California Mother of the Year by a statewide nonprofit organization, is planning to launch a service therapy campaign to help other moms improve and maintain their mental health, according to American Mothers Inc.
New Job
Jaclyn Muro has been named executive director of Gilroy Foundation, taking over from Donna Pray, who is retiring. Muro worked for Christopher Ranch for more than a dozen years, where she was surrounded by the familyâs philanthropic efforts to improve educational opportunities for young Gilroyans.
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