Politics

The Morgan Hill City Council voted 4-1 in a tensely emotional Sept. 16 meeting to censure Councilmember Yvonne Martinez Beltrán over allegations of misconduct, including bullying and intimidation of her colleagues. The vote comes as the result of a June 3 incident in which Councilmembers...

A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction halting construction of a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Gilroy, a ruling county officials and community advocates celebrated Sept. 14 as a major, if not final, victory in a four-month legal fight. U.S. District...

The Valley Water Board of Directors appointed Aaron Baker as the agency’s next chief executive officer. Baker, a licensed professional engineer, will begin his new post as of Jan. 4, 2027, Valley Water officials said. His annual salary will be $506,789.03.  The newly appointed CEO currently...

Gilroy and Morgan Hill Unified School Districts have joined a countywide wave of school boards formally opposing a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility near Gilroy, with local leaders saying the fight extends far beyond district lines. GUSD was the first school district...

The Morgan Hill chapter of the AAUW will host three upcoming candidate forums in an effort to help voters become familiar with and knowledgeable about their choices in the Nov. 3 election.  All three forums will take place 6:30-9pm at Morgan Hill City Council Chambers,...

The Morgan Hill City Council voted unanimously Aug. 26 to impose a 45-day moratorium on new data centers and grid-scale battery energy storage facilities, buying city staff time to draft zoning rules before any such projects can be proposed within city limits. The ordinance blocks...

U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren presented an $850,000 federal funding check to local officials on Aug. 25 to help establish an Agricultural Resource Center in Gilroy. The aim of the proposed new center is to provide services to local agricultural workers and their families. Lofgren, D-San...

Dozens of residents rallied outside Morgan Hill City Hall and packed the council chambers Aug. 19, using an organized public comment campaign to renew pressure on the City Council to formally oppose the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility proposed near Gilroy—and to...

The Upper Llagas Creek Flood Protection Project, a $176.2 million effort led by Valley Water in partnership with the City of Morgan Hill, is entering the home stretch of its final phase, with one of the summer’s most disruptive closures lifting this month. Wright Avenue...

Brian Allen and his son Daniel have built their goat-grazing business, Green Goat Landscapers, from just a pair of animals in 2014 to more than 1,000 goats and sheep today. Contracting with entities including Santa Clara County, the Santa Clara Valley Water District and...