Beyond the Michael Rodrigues rape trial, which dominated the local headlines in 2009, there were plenty of stories that had residents talking this past year.
DMB Associates in 2009 announced its departure from San Benito County after spending four years publicly touting the project and becoming immersed in the community. Also this year, before DMB announced its intention to leave due to the poor economy, a Free Lance investigation revealed that Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz accepted political fundraising support from DMB's law firm, Lombardo and Gilles, and neglected to report it on his campaign expenditure forms.
While DMB faded, Ridgemark this year was invigorated financially when its corporation sold the property to a major investor, John Kerhiotis, with a track record for success. The investor immediately funded improvements to the property and promised more was to come.
Improvements to the local roads also continued this year, as the local transportation agency completed the long-awaited Highway 25 bypass that cuts a path through Hollister without clogging downtown. Slow speeds on the roadway recently picked up, to the delight of regular travelers, when the local governments agreed to increase the speed limit on most of the bypass to 45 mph.
And to close off the year, Sheriff Curtis Hill this month announced he will retire in 2010 after 12 years in the elected role. Hill will have spent nearly 35 years in the office when he retires.
For more on the biggest stories of 2009, pick up the Pinnacle on Friday.
The Free Lance Staff Got a question or a comment? Send us an email.
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San Benito Score: Baler baseball, CCS basketball and state wrestling
