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Firefighters made substantial progress on the Loma fire west of Morgan Hill over the weekend, as the more than 4,400-acre blaze is now 81 percent contained and many residents formerly within the wildfire’s evacuation zone were allowed to return home.Total acreage burned in the fire that started Sept. 26 near Loma Prieta and Loma Chiquita roads is 4,474, according to an Oct. 3 CalFire press release.“Overnight, firefighters were able to reinforce existing fire lines,” CalFire reported. “Extremely drought stressed vegetation conditions still exist, however the potential for torching trees has decreased.”Fighting the fire has been complicated by the area’s steep, remote and, at times, inaccessible terrain in the Santa Cruz mountains. The first few days of firefighting efforts were further hampered by hot, dry temperatures, according to authorities.But as of late last week, cooler temperatures and higher humidity have worked in fire crews’ favor. Plus, with multiple firefighting agencies attacking the blaze, abundant resources have helped “mitigate” the threat of the Loma fire, according to CalFire Engineer Bryan Martin.“We’re working on mop-up, doing repair and setting up for erosion control,” Martin said. “It hasn’t grown for a couple of days, and we’re not expecting it to.”PG&E has entered the burned area to reset power lines and re-establish electricity to affected residents, Martin added.Crews are targeting 100 percent containment of the Loma fire by Saturday, Oct. 8.“Stumps and dead wood still have the potential to burn in these remote areas within the fire perimeter,” the Oct. 3 release continues.A total of 12 homes and 16 unspecified “outbuildings” have been destroyed by the fire, according to authorities. Although 81 structures remain threatened, that number is down from more than 300 last week.CalFire hosted an Oct. 1 community meeting on the Loma fire at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center. Martin said this meeting was “well attended” by local residents and those displaced by the fire. CalFire officials offered information about the firefighting progress, resources for those who are affected and answered questions from the community.Evacuation orders previously in place on Croy Road and within the Sveadal Swedish community on the way up to Uvas Canyon County Park were lifted Oct. 1. Furthermore, evacuation orders were lifted for residents on Summit Road from Loma Prieta Road to Highway 152 in Santa Clara County, authorities said.These roads will remain closed to non-residents.Remaining under evacuation orders are properties on the Loma Prieta ridgeline, including all tributary roads along Summit Road east of Soquel San Jose Road to Ormsby Fire Station. This includes Loma Chiquita, Casa Loma, and Loma Prieta Way.Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church, 16970 DeWitt Ave., is serving as a Red Cross evacuation center for displaced residents.CalFire officials also cautioned residents about scammers asking for money to donate to the state firefighting agency, which is not allowed to solicit donations. These individuals are reportedly requesting cash for operations related to CalFire’s base camp at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. Anyone contacted by these individuals should not donate to them.“CalFire cannot, is not and will not accept donations for the Loma fire incident,” reads a CalFire statement. “It is against the law for California state agencies to solicit or accept any donation for its own use.”

Like the biblical tale of their wandering, the local Jewish community searched for a permanent place to call home. Eight years ago they found it on Monterey Street in Morgan Hill.

Just five minutes past the Gilroy Outlets, up a white picket fenced drive, I arrived at the bucolic hillside winery called Sunlit Oaks. With sweeping 180-degree views of the valley below and raptors soaring above, I felt an instant peacefulness.Electrical engineer-turned winemaker John Grogan was there pouring a line-up of five, equally outstanding wines. All the grapes used in Sunlit Oaks’ wines are grown in Santa Clara Valley. The un-oaked 2012 Chardonnay ($22), with its toasted nut profile is one of the most interesting interpretations of this varietal that you’ll find—a refreshing change from more typical, fruity styles.Merlot lovers will enjoy the 2012 Merlot ($19), full of plummy fruit and soft tannins. Their gold medal winner, a 2012 Sangiovese ($28), is a cherries jubilee of a wine with plenty of tart red fruits that would be a heavenly match with a plate of spaghetti marinara. The third and final red tasting was Rita’s Red Reserve ($35) a bold blend with concentrated layers of black fruit and sturdy tannins.Sunlit Oaks’ 2012 Moscato ($22), an ever-so-slightly sweet wine, completed our tasting. The lovely lychee aroma is evident as soon as you bring the glass to your nose.Mini gourmet picnics are available for purchase and wine club members are free to pick and choose their favorite wines in the quarterly shipments.John, an attentive host, said, “I want people to feel relaxed and at home here. I encourage them to bring picnics, linger and enjoy the serenity of the views and the wine.”

The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce will host a forum for city council and mayoral candidates Monday, Oct. 3 at the Community Playhouse.

Sobrato remains perfect in Santa Teresa Division play—showing no signs of a let down from its dramatic five-set thriller against Pioneer—defeating Santa Teresa in straight sets Thursday night.

If firefighters attacking the Loma fire west of Morgan Hill can avoid any major flare-ups during forecasted high winds in the hills today, they expect to have the blaze fully contained after the weekend, according to authorities.“The biggest challenge today is the wind warning,” CalFire Fire Prevention Specialist Pam Temmermand said Sept. 30. “If we can through that and not have any new fires pick up, we should be OK.”Throughout the day and evening Friday, winds are expected to pick up from the northwest in Morgan Hill at a pace of about 15 to 20 mph, according to National Weather Service Forecaster Steve Anderson. Gusts could reach 25 mph.The air will continue to be “breezy” Saturday, but the winds will die down from Friday’s forecast, Anderson added. Temperatures will remain cool throughout the weekend, with highs in the low- to mid-70s Friday and Saturday, and dropping to the 60s by Sunday night.Also on Sept. 30, CalFire officials reported more acreage burned and structures destroyed since the previous morning. A total of 4,313 acres have burned as of 7 a.m. Sept. 30. Eight homes and nine unspecified “outbuildings” in the way of the wildfire have been destroyed. The fire was 34 percent contained Sept. 30.The latest fire map released by CalFire Sept. 30 shows the blaze is spreading in the northeast direction, down the north side of Casa Loma Road and the south side of Loma Prieta Road. Temmermand added that some of that blaze is likely from firefighters “back burning” to clear away any vegetation that could otherwise fuel the larger fire.The Loma fire started about 3 p.m. Sept. 26 in the areas of Loma Prieta and Loma Chiquita roads in the Santa Cruz mountains. Three hundred twenty-five structures are threatened, and the growing fire has prompted evacuation orders and warnings for neighborhoods in the steep, remote hills.The Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church, 16970 DeWitt Ave., is serving as a Red Cross evacuation center for displaced residents.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.Numerous fire, police and public safety agencies have participated in the firefighting effort. As of Sept. 30, a total of 179 fire engines, 34 water tenders, 16 helicopters, six air tankers, 61 hand crews, 32 dozers and 1,968 personnel were on the scene, according to a release from CalFire.“Overnight (Sept. 29-30), the fire remained active while firefighters continued to build and reinforce containment lines around the fire perimeter,” reads the release. “Accessibility to the fire is hampered by narrow and congested roads. Today’s weather is predicting north to northwest winds increasing this afternoon as a cold front moves through central California. The fire is burning in steep inaccessible terrain covered in dry drought stressed fuels, burning in the Mt. Loma Prieta, Mt. Chual and Uvas Creek drainages.”Blaze affects air qualityThe Santa Clara County Public Health Department reported Sept. 29 has improved to “moderate” since earlier this week. However, the air quality is still in decline since before the Loma fire started.Health officials are advising residents to continue to pay close attention to the air quality over the coming days as the Loma fire continues to burn.“When you see or smell smoke in the air, you may want to hold off on strenuous physical activities until the air clears,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer and Director of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. “With moderate air quality, people who are sensitive to air pollutants should think about limiting long periods of time outdoors, and limiting any demanding physical activity.”CalFire: No donations for base campDozens of residents and local businesses have shown a desire to bring food and water to the firefighters, but CalFire said those efforts are better focused on the Red Cross which is helping those who have lost their homes or cannot yet return home due to evacuation orders. CalFire officials are asking residents not to bring donations to the Loma fire base camp at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy.“While greatly appreciated, the camp is well-supplied and self-sufficient,” reads a CalFire release.Instead, monetary donations can be made to the Red Cross by visiting redcross.org.Donations of food or goods can be delivered to area Salvation Army facilities, including the store in Gilroy located at 6701 Camino Arroyo. The facility is accepting clothing, household goods and toys.More information about the Loma fire can be obtained by calling (408) 779-0930, or by visiting fire.ca.gov.

When Paramvir Dhillon and his wife, Dolores came across a vacant ice cream shop in a shopping center off Dunne and Monterey in Morgan Hill last summer, they knew they had found the perfect location for their ice cream and treat shop.

Recently featured in Vanity Fair’s hallowed fashion pages for his stunning braids on OG celebutant, Paris Hilton, who sported the heat-resistant hairdo for two weeks at Burning Man this summer, Dylan is living his dream, jetting from red carpets to photo shoots in exotic locations, and, he says, it all started in Gilroy.

Hearing for 2015 murder suspects delayed againThe preliminary hearing for two young men accused of murdering Morgan Hill resident Cody Flores in 2015 was delayed yet again, according to authorities.Suspects Chase Benoit, 22, and Spencer Smith, 22—both of Morgan Hill—were scheduled to appear in court at the Hall of Justice in San Jose Sept. 19. However, the preliminary hearing—where the judge will determine if there is enough evidence against the suspects to go to trial—was continued to Oct. 3, according to Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney David Pandori.Smith and Benoit are accused of stabbing Flores to death in a field in east Morgan Hill May 31, 2015, according to authorities. Both suspects were arrested shortly after Flores’ death, and have remained in custody on a murder charge since then.The stabbing happened near the intersection of Diana Avenue and Ringle Drive, according to police.The suspects pleaded not guilty at a previous hearing.The D.A.’s office and Sheriff’s investigators have revealed few details about the late-night stabbing incident and the suspects’ possible motive. The court file on the case, which is held at the clerk’s office in San Jose, does not contain police reports or other narrative of the incident.Pandori expects the Oct. 3 preliminary hearing to conclude as scheduled.Driver accidentally collides with post officeNobody was injured when an elderly woman accidentally drove her car into the front window of the Morgan Hill Post Office Sept. 23, according to police.The vehicle, a four-door sedan, was parked in a designated spot just in front of the front doors of the post office, located at 16600 Monterey Road, when the woman accidentally drove into the glass panels, MHPD Cpl. Scott Martin said. The vehicle was not moving at a high rate of speed at the time of the impact, which resulted in a shattered glass window panel and damage to a planter outside the post office.No injuries were reported, and there is no suspicion that drugs or alcohol were involved, Martin said.Woman, 30, arrested on suspicion of domestic violencePolice arrested a 30-year-old woman on suspicion of domestic violence after someone reported a couple fighting at the Morgan Hill Community Park Sept. 23, police said.Morgan Hill police officers responded to a call about 2 p.m. reporting a man and woman were involved in a scuffle at the public park on West Edmundson Avenue, MHPD Cpl. Scott Martin said. When officers arrived they located the couple in the parking lot next to the Community Park tennis courts.The male victim suffered non-life threatening injuries during the fight, and declined medical treatment, Martin said.The female suspect was booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of domestic violence, police said.

A Santa Clara County judge denied a request by Antolin Garcia Torres to separate his 2009 attempted kidnapping cases from that of missing Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar.Judge Vanessa Zecher filed a Sept. 20 order denying Garcia Torres’ earlier motion for severance of the two cases.Garcia Torres, 24 of Morgan Hill, is accused of kidnapping and murdering Sierra March 16, 2012. Sierra was a 15-year-old sophomore at Sobrato High School at the time of her disappearance, and was last seen walking to a school bus stop near her home in north Morgan Hill.Garcia Torres is also accused of attempted kidnapping in three incidents that took place in the parking lot of two Morgan Hill Safeway stores, according to police. In these incidents, police said Garcia Torres followed women to their parked cars at night on three separate occasions, forced his way into their vehicles when they opened the doors and assaulted them.Garcia Torres remains in custody at Santa Clara County Jail without bail.Prosecutors joined the Safeway cases to the Sierra case in February 2014. Defense attorneys for Garcia Torres argued that trying these two cases together allows the potential for “substantial prejudice” against the defendant, according to their motion for severance.Zecher’s order, however, noted that the defendant and his attorneys had “not made a clear showing of prejudice to support the granting of the motion for severance.”The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty for Garcia Torres on the charge that he murdered Sierra.Garcia Torres’ next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 30 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.