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San Benito County Government News



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2024 law makes opiate antagonists more widely available, liability free

A Naloxone kit in 2017. The medication is used for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose. Brand names of the drug are: Narcan, Evzio, LifEMS Naloxone, Narcan Neonatal and Narcan Prefilled. (New Brunswick/Nouveau-Brunswick via Bay City News) …

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Monterey County donates furniture to aid San Benito’s recovery from fire

MONTEREY COUNTY — County of Monterey is providing assistance to the County of San Benito after a recent fire affected their administrative offices, resulting in the loss of essential office furniture and supplies. On Sept. 8, Hollister firefighters responded to …

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County services make temporary move after Sept. 6 fire

A San Benito County government office building is uninhabitable after a recent fire, and public services housed within the structure have been temporarily moved, according to county officials. Firefighters responded early in the morning Sept. 6 to a report of …

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Congress members introduce disaster relief proposal for farmworkers

California lawmakers announced Aug. 1 the introduction of a bill that would create a permanent structure to provide relief for farmers impacted by natural disasters. The Agricultural Emergency Relief Act aims to streamline the process for seeking and receiving relief. …

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Guest view: Why you should volunteer for the civil grand jury

The Civil Grand Jury is an essential pillar of our democracy, acting as a crucial safeguard in maintaining transparency, efficiency and integrity within local government. By holding public officials and agencies accountable to the communities they serve, the Civil Grand …

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Hollister fires its city manager

Editor's note: This article was updated to include Councilmember Rolan Resendiz's comment. Last updated March 7 at 12:54 p.m. The Hollister City Council terminated City Manager Brett Miller on March 6. City Attorney Mary Lerner said at the meeting the …

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COG to apply for $5.5 Million grant for regional highway project

This article was written by BenitoLink intern Juliana Luna  At its Feb. 16 meeting, the Council of San Benito County Governments (COG) approved a grant letter requesting $5.5 million from the Rebuilding America's Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program …

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Caltrans names new District 5 director

This article was written by BenitoLink intern Michael Koteles Scott Eades has been selected as the new Caltrans District 5 director. The district includes San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz counties.   According to a Caltrans …

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Woodworth appointed as new Hollister City Clerk

The Hollister City Council recently appointed Jennifer Woodworth, MMC, as the new city clerk. Woodworth is the former District Clerk for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which she joined in 2013, according to a press release posted to the …

Image caption: Bernadette Moordigian in front of the Fresno City College library on July 5, 2022.
A New State Agency Aims to Fix Rising Health Care Costs

For years, consumer advocates and some legislators have been battling to rein in escalating health care costs. Now the state has created a new agency to limit future growth in health care costs — and it will have the power …

Image caption: Republican lawmakers stand outside the California Capitol behind traffic cones creating the numeral "100."
Get Ready For Another Gas Tax Increase

July 1 is shaping up to be a big day for California. That's when the Golden State's sky-high gas prices are set to tick up even more due to a scheduled increase to the excise tax rate, which will tack …

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You Could Be a Joint Homeowner–With the State

Much has been made about the persistent disagreement between Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers over how to put money back in the pockets of Californians reeling from high gas prices and the rising cost of living, but what about …

Image caption: Lawmakers on the Assembly floor in the California Capitol.
Newsom Wary of Lawmaker-Approved Budget

Depending on whom you ask, the $300-billion-plus budget bill California lawmakers passed on Monday either was developed largely behind closed doors, ignores the state's biggest problems and fails to provide urgent relief amid skyrocketing inflation — or offered ample opportunity …

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Inside One of the Capitol’s Most Secretive Processes

The suspense file allows lawmakers to shelve proposals that are too expensive. It also allows them to silently euthanize those that are controversial, opposed by powerful interest groups, or politically inconvenient.

Image caption: Tesla Supercharger pump station at the Westminster Mall parking lot in Westminster, CA..
Walters: Electric Car Nirvana Collides With Reality

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Air Resources Board are boasting about California's shift to zero-emission vehicles but the reality of making it happen is daunting.

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Hollister council updates noise ordinance

Special to the Free Lance The Hollister City Council agreed Feb. 22 to update the city’s current noise ordinance to establish a more defined decibel level requirement. Hollister Police officials stated that the department has received “numerous complaints” for noise …

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Lofgren visits Salinas Valley, receives nod from Panetta, Rivas

As the decennial redistricting process wrapped up last month, the concern from The World’s Salad Bowl started to mount. Local politicians, regional business giants and other community leaders asked how a plan to pair the international agricultural hub with the …

Featured

California's sprawling public education system encompasses approximately 10,500 schools.
California’s Education System: How the Bureaucracy Works
How California's extensive public school system is organized and managed, explained.
States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.
The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained
Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population
How local government tries to control the world’s deadliest wild animal—the mosquito.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
Over two weekends last October, residents of Santa Cruz and Watsonville  participated in demonstration rides aboard an electric streetcar on rails.
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained
The heated controversy over what to do with abandoned railroad tracks
California transportation history runs from railroads to today’s car culture.
California’s History of Transportation: From Railroads to Highways
The history of transportation in California has shaped the state, from the earliest stagecoach to today’s car culture.
The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
Gov. Newsom has a new plan to help get mentally ill Californians into treatment.
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Owning homes is the primary way the middle class builds wealth, and an option no longer available to most Californians.
Is California’s Housing Crisis Making Inequality Worse?
California has some of the worst economic inequality in the United States. Is housing a cause? Could it be a cure?
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
The Pajaro River levee broke during the 2023 atmospheric river storms, flooding the town of Pajaro.
Is California Ready for More Extreme Weather Driven by Climate Change?
Increasingly extreme weather events are already testing California’s preparedness.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
California has a goal of 6 million heat pumps cooling and heating buildings by 2030.
6 Million New Heat Pumps: Essential to California's Climate Future
Installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 is essential if California is to reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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