Community

Since May 10, eight children in Santa Clara County have been treated for drowning, and three of these young victims have died as a result of their injuries—including a 2-year-old Morgan Hill resident.

Technicians at Honda of Morgan Hill made sure the smiles of more than three dozen children would last well after the dealership’s second annual “Christmas in June” event, held June 29 in the auto dealership’s Laurel Road showroom.

“It can be seen. It can be heard. The community is here. We are here for families. We are here for immigrants. The children should not be separated from their parents.”

With lawn chairs already beginning to line the parade route, it’s an annual indication that Morgan Hill Freedom Fest’s Fourth of July extravaganza is on the horizon.

Tickets are now on sale for a July 20 live jazz and dinner fundraiser featuring chart-topping saxophonist Greg Chambers, with proceeds to support local music education.

Public agencies throughout the South Valley are warning residents of scorching outdoor temperatures approaching throughout the day Saturday.The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for all of Santa Clara and San Benito counties, from 11am to 8pm June 23. Above-average temperatures are expected at these locations and times, with highs expected to surpass 100 degrees in some areas.A notice from the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services advises that potential heat impacts include a “moderate to very high risk for heat related illness for (the) entire population,” including heat stress or heat exhaustion. Heat in vehicles “poses extreme dangers” to any animals or children, who should not be left inside a parked car in such temperatures.Elderly residents are particularly vulnerable to heat related illnesses.Increased fire concerns are also a risk during hot and dry conditions, the county’s press release adds.A notice from the Hollister Police Department advises residents to drink plenty of fluids when it is abnormally hot and dry outside, stay inside air-conditioned rooms and out of the sun when possible, and check on their relatives and neighbors.The City of Morgan Hill sent a notice to residents June 22 notifying them that the Centennial Recreation Center, Community and Cultural Center and Morgan Hill Library will serve as “cooling centers” during the spike in temperatures Saturday.

The man found dead June 6 outside a Morgan Hill retail building has been identified as 54-year-old Kevin Hart.

A homeless man, previously known to local police, was found dead next to a retail building on Monterey Road near Spring Avenue June 6, according to authorities. Police do not think foul play was a factor in the death.Morgan Hill Police received a phone call about 3:30pm from an employee of one of the businesses located at 16795 Monterey Road. The caller reported a person was lying motionless next to the building, according to police.Firefighters and police arrived and confirmed the adult male was dead, MHPD Sgt. Carson Thomas said at the scene Wednesday. Officers taped off the building and parking lot while they waited for Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office to arrive and take custody of the body.The area where the man was found is in a culvert several feet away from the north side of the building, partially concealed by shrubs, grass and other vegetation.Police are working on notifying the man’s next of kin before authorities release his identity, MHPD Sgt. Troy Hoefling added.Officers gathered footage from surveillance cameras in the area, Hoefling said. The footage and other evidence confirms the man was not a victim of a crime or other foul play. He likely died from an unspecified “medical issue.”Hoefling said officers think they recognized the man when they saw his body at the scene, and  Morgan Hill Police have had contact with him in the past.

“We would love to have you come back to Morgan Hill,” Mayor Steve Tate exclaimed to Amgen Tour of California organizers on the finish line stage—at Fourth Street and Monterey Road in the city’s downtown—at the conclusion of the competition’s May 16 individual time trial. “Thank you!”