News

Authorities are starting to crack down on people illegally hanging flags, signs, banners and other items—regardless of the content of their messaging—on highway overpasses in South Valley, according to a local California Highway Patrol captain. The heightened enforcement plan is the CHP’s response to a...

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....

The famed Gilroy Garlic Festival will return this summer after a five-year absence, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced. The 2025 version will be on a smaller scale—about one-tenth of the previous festival’s big crowds—and at a different location, the Gilroy Gardens amusement park instead...

Monica Flynn, of Morgan Hill, was recently elected to membership into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at San Jose State University. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, says a press release from the society.  Flynn...

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...

South Valley Civic Theater has unveiled an ambitious lineup for its upcoming 2025-26 season, featuring productions ranging from Tony Award-winning musicals to adaptations of popular Disney movies. The season announcement came during the theater's annual membership event, where SVCT President Peter Mandel emphasized the organization's...

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...

With the recent rise of measles cases in areas across the U.S., Bay Area health officials are urging everyone to get the measles vaccination if they are not sure if they have been vaccinated, or if they did not have measles as a child....

I recently went out to visit another winery in San Benito County, where the wineries and the wines share a similar place in the world of California regions—we had a history of being leaders in winemaking going back to the 19th century, we are...