Day: January 15, 2021

San Benito County Administration Building. Photo by Noe Magaña.

Government / Politics

SBC Supervisors approve COVID-19 penalty ordinance

Penalties for violations of state and county guidelines range from $100 to $500 for civil cases and from $1,000 to $10,000 for commercial.

Novel Coronavirus. Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control.

Health

Jan. 15 coronavirus roundup for San Benito County

One death and 80 new cases reported, 4,778 people have tested positive, 720 are active patients, 4,016 have recovered and 43 have died; the county’s current positivity rate is 16.3%; the San Joaquin Valley Region’s ICU availability is 0%.

San Benito High School. Photo courtesy of SBHS.

Education / Schools

Sports set to return to San Benito High School

Fall season could start as soon as Jan. 16.

Photo provided by San Benito Stage Company.

Art & Culture

San Benito Stage Company to offer virtual workshops for all ages

Workshops begin at the end of January and will run through March.

Community members are invited to share their opinions on BenitoLink. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Community Opinions

COMMUNITY OPINION: The voters have spoken

Frank Barragan writes that the Board of Supervisors should respect the will of the voters in regards to Measure N and Strada Verde.

State Assemblyman Robert Rivas. Photo provided by the office of Robert Rivas.

Agriculture

Assemblymembers Robert Rivas and Rudy Salas introduce legislation to maximize benefits of Sustainable Groundwater Management requirements

If approved, AB 252 would create a pilot program to support repurposing formerly irrigated agricultural land for less water-intensive uses.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Business / Economy

Monterey Bay Economic Partnership offering small business relief webinar

Jan. 21 event to cover grant programs available through federal and state relief packages to help business owners get back on track through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital has tents set up outside to service a higher amount of patients. Photo by Noe Magaña.

Health

General public unlikely to receive COVID-19 vaccinations before spring

Though San Benito County is preparing to move to the next vaccination phase, limited supply could make mass inoculation difficult to accomplish.