San Benito County Archives

San Benito County rescinds face covering order, residents now required to follow state order

June 18, 2020 2:10 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County’s Interim Public Health Officer said the face covering order the county had in place is rescinded effective…

Movie theaters begin reopening for the first time since Shelter in Place began

June 17, 2020 12:07 PM Jocelyn Ortega

Hollister Premiere Cinemas reopens since beginning of the shelter in…

CHP: Semi driver caught speeding, cutting in and out of traffic arrested on DUI charge

June 15, 2020 5:29 PM Avery Johnson

Monterey-area CHP officers arrested a semi driver whose blood alcohol level was allegedly four times the legal…

San Benito County to allow nail salons, tattoo parlors to reopen

June 15, 2020 2:50 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County’s Interim Public Health Officer announced that the county will…

18-year-old killed in rollover crash near Hollister Sunday

June 15, 2020 2:17 PM Avery Johnson

An 18-year-old male has died as a result of a rollover crash on SR 25 south of Hollister…

Hollister brush fire that prompted evacuations contained

June 12, 2020 12:47 PM Avery Johnson

Hollister police say they are evacuating homes near the Park Hill area because of a brush…

San Benito High gets creative with graduation

June 2, 2020 3:51 PM Drew Andre

San Benito High School normally fills a graduation with around 6,000 people in attendance. However, the coronavirus pandemic changed that for the…

Two drivers die in crash on Frazier Lake Road

June 2, 2020 12:05 PM Avery Johnson

The California Highway Patrol is responding to a crash that killed at least one…

Hollister Safeway employee tests positive for COVID-19

June 1, 2020 5:12 PM Avery Johnson

Safeway has confirmed that one of its employees at its store on Tres Pinos Road has tested positive for…

Central Coast Comeback: Schools prepare for 2020-2021 academic year

May 28, 2020 7:27 PM Megan Meier

Schools on the Central Coast have been dark since mid-March. For the first time ever, classes transitioned to a completely online, and it was…

Fish and Wildlife Service considers removing Central Coast plant from endangered species list

May 29, 2020 1:19 PM Avery Johnson

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it is considering removing a plant native to the Central Coast from the…

Local law enforcement calls for policing to do better in response to man dying during police encounter

May 27, 2020 5:41 PM Avery Johnson

Four Minneapolis police officers have been fired after a video showed one of them kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, who later…

San Benito County allowing hair salons, barbershops to open

May 26, 2020 2:59 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County announced that it will follow state guidance and allow hair salons and barbershops to…

Introducing the Messenger Experience

May 25, 2020 12:08 PM Avery Johnson

The KION news team is happy to announce a new feature to help you stay up-to-date with what is happening in the…

What’s open on the Central Coast for Memorial Day weekend?

May 22, 2020 6:41 PM Avery Johnson

This Memorial Day weekend is not like any we have seen…

Two more people arrested in connection to shooting at Hollister gas station

May 22, 2020 4:25 PM Avery Johnson

An 18-year-old man and 17-year-old juvenile are facing attempted murder charges in connection to a shooting at a Hollister gas…

Hollister reopens restaurants

May 22, 2020 6:55 AM Jocelyn Ortega

Parts of San Benito Street will be closed off to traffic and opened up for restaurants this…

Hollister prepares to close San Benito Street for businesses, restaurants

May 21, 2020 10:45 PM Josh Kristianto

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION) While San Benito County restaurants and shops are already allowed to have people inside, separated tables mean fewer…

San Benito County offers free face masks to businesses

May 20, 2020 3:38 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County officials announced that the county will be giving free face masks to local…

Financial relief for immigrants on Central Coast overwhelmed with applicants

May 19, 2020 12:27 PM Drew Andre

Financial help for undocumented immigrants in California opened up on Monday, but across the state the call centers could not handle the volume of…

Parking lots partially reopen at 27 state parks, including some Central Coast parks

May 19, 2020 2:42 PM The Associated Press, Avery Johnson

The parking lots of 27 California state parks have partially reopened weeks after the 280 state parks and beaches…

Hollister police not making changes to sex offender registration

May 19, 2020 12:19 PM Avery Johnson

Governor Newsom signed an executive order allowing law enforcement agencies to register sex offenders…

Fire season begins in Monterey, San Benito Counties Monday

May 8, 2020 12:01 PM Avery Johnson

Cal Fire has declared fire season in San Benito and Monterey…

Central Coast real estate market suffers under COVID-19

May 16, 2020 5:32 PM Shannon Longworth

The Coronavirus pandemic has presented new challenges to the way people buy and sell houses.…

Local ‘kindness club’ gives back to essential workers

May 15, 2020 6:19 PM Megan Meier

Many knew Julie Neff as a 2nd grade teacher at Spring Grove Elementary School in Hollister, but now she has become one of the town’s…

San Benito County approved to move into expanded Stage 2 of reopening

May 12, 2020 7:08 PM Shannon Longworth, Avery Johnson

San Benito County meets Governor Newsom’s qualifications to reopen restaurants, according to county public health…

COVID-19 testing sites now open to all Monterey County residents

May 12, 2020 5:15 PM Avery Johnson, Elisha Machado

New COVID-19 testing sites in Salinas, Greenfield, Hollister and Watsonville are now open to the…

San Benito County joins Great Plates Delivered program

May 13, 2020 5:49 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County is joining the state-funded program “Great Plates Delivered” to provide meals to…

Hollister police investigate burglary, vehicle theft at high school

May 8, 2020 2:09 PM Avery Johnson

Hollister police are investigating a late night burglary at San Benito High School that they said caused extensive…

San Benito County moves into Stage 2 of reopening with state

May 8, 2020 1:37 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County announced that it will be moving into Stage 2 of reopening along with the…

Central Coast comeback: How will recreational activities change?

May 7, 2020 7:15 PM Zach McIntyre

At some point the shelter in place orders will lift, but what will life be like…

Central Coast city managers write to governor asking for financial help during COVID-19 pandemic

May 8, 2020 12:41 PM Avery Johnson

City managers from Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties wrote a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom explaining how the COVID-19…

San Benito County hosting no-cost COVID-19 testing

May 7, 2020 11:19 AM Avery Johnson

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would add more than 80 new COVID-19 testing sites around the…

Amid demands, Newsom introduces possibility of less restrictive county orders

May 4, 2020 10:05 PM Aaron Groff

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION) California Governor Gavin Newsom introduced a plan that would allow local governments to have less restrictive public…

San Benito County Supervisor shares letter to Governor requesting different treatment for rural counties

May 4, 2020 12:59 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County Supervisor Jim Gillio shared a letter on social media directed to Gov. Newsom requesting that rural…

Annual Hollister Independence Rally postponed due to COVID-19 concerns

May 4, 2020 11:23 AM Avery Johnson

The Hollister Independence Rally has been postponed until next year due to COVID-19…

San Benito County offers guidance for drive-in events at faith-based organizations

May 1, 2020 5:57 PM Avery Johnson

The San Benito County Interim Public Health Officer, Dr. David Ghilarducci, has issued guidance for faith-based organizations offering drive-in…

San Benito County health officer allowing Shelter in Place to expire, but following state guidance

April 30, 2020 5:56 PM Avery Johnson

The Interim San Benito County Public Health Officer, Dr. David Ghilarducci, said he will allow the county’s current Shelter in…

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital to resume elective surgeries

April 30, 2020 3:26 PM Avery Johnson

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital said it will resume scheduled elective…

Gov. Newsom expected to announce beach and state parks closure

April 29, 2020 9:05 PM KION546 News Team

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION and CBSLA) A notice sent out by the California Police Chief’s Association Wednesday said local law enforcement agencies…

San Benito County’s interim public health officer resigns

April 28, 2020 5:09 PM Avery Johnson, Aaron Groff

Interim Public Health Officer, Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, submitted his resignation Tuesday, according to county…

San Benito County face covering order goes into effect

April 24, 2020 4:33 PM Avery Johnson, Elisha Machado, Josh Kristianto

UPDATE 04/26/20 7:15 p.m. San Benito County resients will have to start wearing face coverings starting Monday morning to help stop the spread of…

San Benito County amends Shelter in Place order to allow county parks, city parks, golf courses to open

April 24, 2020 4:45 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County Public Health Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib has amended his Shelter in Place order to allow the public to…

San Benito County supervisors host virtual town hall to discuss business resources

April 24, 2020 2:51 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County supervisors Jim Gillio and Peter Hernandez are hosting a virtual town hall Friday…

Officials in San Benito County hold face covering distribution event

April 23, 2020 5:24 PM Avery Johnson

San Benito County and the City of Hollister are working with the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce to hold a face covering…

Mascot and signs support San Benito High School seniors

April 22, 2020 10:50 PM Aaron Groff

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION) The coronavirus pandemic has meant a senior year that is anything but normal for students preparing to graduate high school.…

San Benito County preparing cloth face covering requirement

April 17, 2020 6:10 PM Avery Johnson, Josh Kristianto

The San Benito County Public Health Officer is preparing a cloth face covering order scheduled to go into effect in the coming…

Nurses hold new rallies across Central Coast over PPE, layoffs

April 16, 2020 10:46 PM Josh Kristianto

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Nurses across the Central Coast came out in solidarity over personal protective equipment and layoffs at certain hospitals in…

Gilroy man on motorcycle dies after crash with big rig

April 15, 2020 1:27 PM Avery Johnson

A man on a motorcycle has died as a result of a crash near SR 25 and SR 156 Wednesday…

Central Coast cities and counties to combine forces for federal COVID-19 funding

April 14, 2020 1:48 AM Aaron Groff

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The federal government’s $2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, CARES Act, includes billions for local governments, but the…