Hollister Free Lance

06/01/2026

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital welcomed the first baby of the New Year on Jan. 1. Baby girl Namina was born at 10:25am at the Hollister hospital, weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and measuring 20 inches long. https://sanbenito.com/hazel-hawkins-first-baby-of-2026-born-jan-1/

26/12/2025

The Hollister Free Lance reports on approval of a regional housing plan and looks back at a busy year in San Benito County.

19/12/2025

Santa visits the San Benito County Library, bringing smiles and holiday cheer to local families in this week’s Hollister Free Lance.

13/12/2025

San Benito Stage Company brings a holiday special sidecar to the stage as young actors prepare for a double feature production.

08/12/2025

Editorial: If each of us commits to redirecting even a portion of our holiday spending to local businesses, we can help ensure those small shops, local artisans and locally owned restaurants stay afloat.

Small Business Saturday may have come and gone, but the importance of supporting our neighborhood shops, makers and service providers hasn’t faded with the weekend sales. If anything, this is the moment when shopping locally matters most.

28/11/2025

Anonymous Facebook users who run what they describe as a “satirical” social media page have sued San Benito County over its recent efforts to name them as the page’s owners.

Anonymous Facebook users who run what they describe as a “satirical” social media page have sued San Benito County over its recent efforts to name them as the page’s owners.

28/11/2025

This week’s Free Lance cover reports on Hollister church volunteers distributing holiday meal boxes to families. The annual effort continues to grow as demand increases.

21/11/2025

The Balers go perfect. Hollister Free Lance spotlights Hollister High’s JV football team and its stellar 10–0 season.

19/11/2025

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors narrowly rejected a petition to recall one of its members and labeled the effort “illegal” due to allegations that signature gatherers misled local voters.

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors narrowly rejected a petition to recall one of its members and labeled the effort “illegal” due to allegations that signature gatherers misled local voters.

14/11/2025

Veterans and families gathered in downtown Hollister to pay tribute on Veterans Day. The Free Lance captures the emotion, service, and pride of this year’s parade and ceremony.

07/11/2025

With thousands of San Benito County residents set to lose their CalFresh benefits due to a suspension of federal funding, local organizations and service providers are preparing for a surge in the need for food assistance this month.

With thousands of San Benito County residents set to lose their CalFresh benefits due to a suspension of federal funding, local organizations and service providers are preparing for a surge in the need for food assistance this month.

07/11/2025

Betabel Developer Proposes 280 Housing Units Alongside Highway 101 Instead of Farmstead

The owner of the 23-acre Betabel property along Highway 101 has pivoted to housing development. Its proposed roadside attraction has morphed into a major housing proposal. Submitted under California’s “Builder’s Remedy” law, it wants approval for 280 homes — including 57 affordable units and a community center.

The pivot comes after years of legal battles over the project’s environmental impact on land identified by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band as culturally significant. Originally pitched as a agritourism-themed commercial hub with a gas station, motel and farmstand, Betabel is now slated for dense residential use, igniting new concerns about farmland conversion, traffic, and infrastructure.

The “Builder’s Remedy” provision, invoked because San Benito County’s housing plan remains out of state compliance, allows developers to bypass local zoning to address California’s housing shortage. County planners say a new Environmental Impact Report and rezoning would still be required before construction can begin.