Politics

About 100 people gathered in downtown Morgan Hill Thursday, then marched to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office about a mile away to protest federal immigration policies and practices.  The protest was organized by local activists including South County siblings Rebeca and Reymundo Armendariz,...

An independent investigation found no credible evidence that Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner physically assaulted or retaliated against Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Martínez Beltrán during a February city council meeting, according to a report released this week. The investigation, conducted by private firm Kramer Workplace...

Millions of people in cities and towns throughout the nation joined the “No Kings” protest on June 14—a crowd that included several hundred protesters in west Gilroy.  The event was organized in 2,000 cities in the U.S. to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, and...

Following a failed effort to protest the dissolution of the South Santa Clara County Fire District, county officials are preparing to consolidate fire protection services in unincorporated areas into the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District.  Voters and property owners had an opportunity to...

Hundreds of people in Morgan Hill and Gilroy hit the streets April 5 to deliver the message that they are not happy with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk as part of the nationwide “Hands Off!” protests.  On just the 76th day of Trump’s presidency,...

Local government and nonprofit leaders in Santa Clara County are bracing for the impact of proposed federal budget cuts that could dramatically reshape public services, potentially leaving thousands of vulnerable residents without critical healthcare, social services and support programs. “Cutting Medicaid funding would be a...

The family of Don Gage has scheduled an upcoming funeral mass and a celebration of life in honor of the former mayor of Gilroy, who died March 25 at age 79.  A funeral mass for Gage will take place at 10am April 5 at St....

Lorraine Barke, former mayor and longtime community leader in Morgan Hill, died March 5. She was 87. Born in Illinois to Alexander and Emily Furtek, Barke spent most of her adult life in Morgan Hill with her husband Bernard, where they would grow into outsized...

Don Gage—a South County icon of politics and a beloved member of the Gilroy community—died on March 25 at age 79.  Gage’s political career started in 1981 and spanned a range of local offices and specialties. He served as a Gilroy City Council member from...

After celebrating the holidays with her family and recovering from a bout of Covid, Zoe Lofgren flew back to Washington, DC on Jan. 2 to begin her new term representing California’s 18th Congressional District in the US Congress. The district follows Highway 101 from...