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Tag: morgan hill

  • Feds sue the Bay Area cities of Morgan Hill, Petaluma over bans on natural gas in new buildings

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    Two cities in the San Francisco Bay Area are facing a lawsuit brought on by the Trump administration seeking to end their bans on natural gas in new buildings.

    On Jan. 5, the Department of Justice filed a suit in the Northern District of California against the cities of Morgan Hill and Petaluma.

    According to the text of the lawsuit, federal prosecutors argue such bans lead to “crushing” costs for residents and are preempted by federal law.

    “These natural gas bans hurt American families and are outright illegal,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “Alongside the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice is working around the clock to end radical environmentalist policies, restore common sense, and unleash American energy.”

    Adam Gustafson, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, said, “When states and cities pick winners and losers, consumers pay the price. Our complaint seeks to restore consumer choice so that people and businesses can build in a way that fits their needs best.”

    According to prosecutors, Morgan Hill approved a ban on new natural gas infrastructure in 2019, while Petaluma followed two years later.

    Another Bay Area city, Berkeley, was the first in the country to implement a ban on natural gas on new homes and buildings, citing concerns about climate change. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out Berkeley’s ordinance in 2024, following a challenge brought on by the California Restaurant Association.

    “Under that controlling precedent, Morgan Hill’s and Petaluma’s natural gas bans are invalid-as numerous other California cities have recognized when recently repealing or suspending their equivalent bans,” the lawsuit said.

    In a statement to CBS News Bay Area on Tuesday, Morgan Hill City Attorney Donald Larkin said the city follows federal law and will continue to do so.

    “The City has not denied any permits for gas infrastructure based on the 2019 ordinance since the courts struck down Berkeley’s similar ordinance. In fact, the City has approved projects with gas infrastructure. While we are still reviewing the complaint, this lawsuit appears to be an unnecessary effort to require the City to follow laws with which the City is already in compliance,” Larkin said.

    Petaluma City Attorney Eric Danly said in a separate statement to CBS News Bay Area that they are also complying with federal law and that they are not enforcing their ordinance following the 9th Circuit ruling.

    “In fact, the City has not denied any project or permit applications based on its electrification regulations, and has approved and is processing development projects that include gas infrastructure. In any event, the City has observed that developers have generally opted voluntarily to install electric utilities,” Danly said.

    The lawsuit calls for the court to declare the bans are preempted by federal law and to enter a permanent injunction to prevent the ordinances from taking effect.

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    Tim Fang

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  • One killed, three injured in Morgan Hill crash

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    MORGAN HILL — One person was killed and three others were injured in a crash Wednesday morning in Morgan Hill, police said.

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    Jason Green

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  • Letters: Protesters should celebrate a new beginning for Venezuela

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    We should celebrate
    Venezuela’s new start

    Re: “Protests decry Trump’s actions” (Page A1, Jan. 5).

    How I would love to send the Bay Area protesters to South Florida, where residents are celebrating President Trump’s intervention in Venezuela. President Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, are responsible for “one of the most dramatic political, economic and humanitarian collapses in modern history,” according to a Miami Herald piece (“Venezuela left to grapple with wreckage Maduro leaves behind“) published Sunday.

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  • CCS, NCS football playoffs: Best of Saturday’s semifinals

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    Saturday’s games

    CCS Division II

    No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral 63, No. 3 Santa Teresa 27 

    The game was tied at seven in the first half Saturday, but that’s as close as Santa Teresa would get as SHC routed the Saints to advance to the section title game, where the Fightin’ Irish will play rival St. Ignatius next week. SHC used a 28-point second quarter to propel the San Francisco school to the win. Quarterback Michael Sargent accounted for six touchdowns – throwing for four and rushing for two. Running back Jaylen Malcom had three touchdowns for Santa Teresa, which finished 11-1. – Nathan Canilao

    CCS Division V

    No. 1 Piedmont Hills 41, No. 4 Jefferson 14

    Piedmont Hills will play in its first section final since 2010 after making quick work of Jefferson at home. Senior Diego Arias was excellent on both sides of the ball, getting a 32-yard pick-six and throwing a 50-yard touchdown to Travis Linane. Running back Alijah Torres had two rushing scores. Quarterback John Palomo ran for a touchdown and kicker Cash Martinez knocked in field goals from 26 and 32 yards away. Jefferson quarterback Robert Saulny-Green accounted for both of his team’s touchdowns with a rushing score and a passing TD. The Pirates will play Sobrato for the D-V championship next week. They will try to avenge a 40-30 loss to the Morgan Hill school this season. Jefferson ended its season 9-2. – Nathan Canilao

    No. 2 Sobrato 27, No. 3 Terra Nova 19

    Brady Lennon rushed for 272 yards and three touchdowns to help Sobrato to the win and the program’s first appearance in a CCS title game. Lennon broke a 70-yard scoring run on the second play of the game. Brandon Huighes connected with Jacob Sorrentino on a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0. After Terra Nova drew to within 20-19, Lennon’s 26-yard TD run with 1:46 left gave Sobrato (8-4) an eight-point lead. Then when kicker Kyle Gurney recovered a fumble on the subsequent kickoff, the Bulldogs were able to run out the clock. For Terra Nova (8-4), QB Joey Donati rushed for 93 yards and passed for 184 and touchdowns to Robbie Johnson and Holden Najar. – Glenn Reeves

    NCS Division V

    No. 2 Ferndale 35, No. 3 Salesian 7

    Salesian traveled more than 250 miles up Highway 101 for its semifinal game against Ferndale, hoping to return home to Richmond with a shot to capture the program’s eighth NCS championship next week. For three quarters Saturday, there was still hope. The Pride trailed 14-7 with 12 minutes to play. But the home team found another gear down the stretch, scoring three touchdowns in the final quarter to advance to play top-seeded St. Vincent de Paul for the championship next Saturday at Rancho Cotate High in Rohnert Park. Instead of Salesian playing for an eighth NCS crown, Ferndale (12-0) will be seeking its 15th. Salesian finished 10-2.  – Darren Sabedra

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    Nathan Canilao, Darren Sabedra, Glenn Reeves

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  • Magnitude 3.0 quake jolts South Santa Clara County

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    MORGAN HILL – A magnitude 3.0 earthquake jolted South Santa Clara County Tuesday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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    Jason Green

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  • Morgan Hill: 12 illicit massage parlors shut down

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    MORGAN HILL — A dozen illicit massage parlors were shuttered in Morgan Hill for allegedly providing sexual services, authorities said Thursday.

    The 12 businesses were shut down by police during an 18-month operation, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department. The parlors either had their permits revoked or were denied permits after the city changed its municipal code to tighten requirements.

    Some of the businesses were found to be advertising sexual services online or caught by investigators providing sex, authorities said. Others had contraception in the rooms, lied in the permit application process or were otherwise generally promoted as a place for illegal sexual activity. Police found that the alleged sexual activity occurred both after-hours and during regular business hours.

    The businesses that were shut down include A&M Health Center, Angel Beauty Spa, Body Care Foot Spa, Body Care Massage, Elegant Foot Spa, Flower Day Spa, Laura Health Center, Lucky Spa, Morgan Hill Spa, New Times Massage, September Day Spa and TWNS Spa.

    Police also made multiple arrests of people on suspicion off pimping, pandering, supervising prostitution activities and soliciting prostitution, authorities said.

    In 2023, Morgan Hill saw an “unprecedented” increase in applications for massage business permits after similar businesses were closed across the Bay Area, officials said. The city partnered with reputable massages businesses, law enforcement, the California Massage Therapy Council and the Santa Clara County Illicit Massage Business Coalition to update the city’s municipal codes to “balance the needs of legitimate businesses with the safety of our community.”

    The changes to the municipal codes include requirements that all massage therapists be certified by the California Massage Therapy Council, and that front windows cannot be covered and doors to massage rooms cannot have locks. Owners of establishments that are denied permits also cannot reopen another massage business in the city, and the same storefront cannot be used for another massage business for at least five years.

    The updates to the city code went into effect in May 2024 and were further updated in June 2025, authorities said.

    Administrative Sgt. Christopher Woodrow said in a press release that the process of investigating illicit massage businesses is “time consuming” and “often frustrating.”

    “We took a multidisciplinary approach which included developing profiles from permit applications, communicating with other agencies and working on tips from community members,” Woodrow said. “Resources were often declined and there were no victims of human trafficking willing to provide testimony against their suspected traffickers which meant our team had to work even harder to ensure our decisions were not overturned on appeal.”

    Capt. Mario Ramirez said in the press release that some of the shuttered businesses left the city after their licenses were revoked, but others hired attorneys to appeal the decision.

    “The hard work and dedication of our team ultimately prevailed in all instances where suspected sexual activity was occurring,” Ramirez added.

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    Santa Clara County is one of three counties with the highest number of illicit massage businesses in the country, alongside Los Angeles County and Orange County, authorities added. The Human Trafficking Institute has found that California is the home of more than a quarter of the estimated 10,000 illicit massage parlors operating across the United States.

    “When you visit a licensed massage therapist, you’re entering a professional healthcare environment. We follow strict codes of ethics, maintain state licensure, and uphold the same professional boundaries you’d expect in any other healthcare setting,” Sarah Ellingson, owner of Rooted Republic, said in the press release. “By supporting legitimate, licensed massage therapists, our community helps protect the integrity of the profession and ensures that therapeutic touch remains a safe, respected, and valuable form of care.”

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    Caelyn Pender

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  • Letters: San Jose animal shelter still turning deaf ear to community

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    ”]

    Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor. 

    Animal shelter still turns
    deaf ear to community

    San Jose continues to fail to improve animal shelter services to the community.

    A scathing city audit of one year ago has failed to deliver measurable results. The city still fails to provide low-cost public spay and neuter, nor is outreach to rescue groups or trap-neuter-return a priority. The San Jose animal welfare community continues to be ignored.

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  • Ann Sobrato High School marching band preparing for San Francisco Fleet Week

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    The countdown is on for Ann Sobrato High School Marching Band, as they are preparing to compete in San Francisco’s Fleet Week High School Band Challenge.  

    “I’ve been playing for about seven years, you could say,” Suliman Ahmadi, the band’s drum major, told CBS News Bay Area. 

    He, along with his marching bandmates, practices for 14 hours each week. 

    “The powerful thing about practicing is that we’re all with each other, and really that family type of bond we get in the marching band,” Ahmadi said. 

    This is the band’s fifth year competing in the Fleet Week challenge, and the school’s theme this year is “Past World, Future World.” 

    “It’s definitely a good way to get everyone together and get good at something we’re trying to work on,” he said. 

    A little more than 50 students make up the marching band.  

    “We’re small but mighty. And it validates the hard work and fact that quality over quantity is important, too,” Greg Chambers, the band director, told CBS News Bay Area. 

    “If we were to win, it would be really exciting. We always placed in kind of the top three. But we’d love to experience and expose our kids to what other high schools are doing too,” he added. 

    As for Ahmadi, who is a graduating senior, he is soaking up every second.  

    “Really shows us how to communicate with people, how to make friends. I met my people here, I met some of my friends,” he said. 

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    CBS Bay Area

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  • Man allegedly carjacks vehicle in Morgan Hill, police say

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    A man was arrested after allegedly stealing a car in Morgan Hill Monday, the police department said.

    Morgan Hill police said they responded to a report of a carjacking in the 17000 block of Monterey Road at about 5:25 p.m. on Monday.

    Authorities report the victim told officers that a man approached her as she walked toward her boyfriend’s white Dodge Ram truck. The man then took the truck’s keys and drove away in the vehicle, according to officials.

    The police department states they located the vehicle traveling north on Monterey Road near Cochrane Road. Officers tried to stop the vehicle near Monterey Road and Palm Avenue, but the driver sped away and continued north on Monterey Road before driving off-road behind a home, according to police.

    Police said the driver jumped out of the moving truck and ran while the truck, still in gear, rolled forward and hit a parked vehicle.

    Officials said officers chased the suspect on foot and arrested him behind the home. The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Robert Cordova, who is currently on probation for firearm-related offenses, according to police.

    Morgan Hill police adds a further search of the area led to the discovery of a fanny pack on the roof of a nearby home, and inside, officers found a loaded gun. Home surveillance video also confirmed Cordova was the person seen getting out of the stolen truck and throwing the fanny pack onto the roof, authorities report.

    According to police, Cordova was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of carjacking, evading police, violating probation and illegal firearm possession.

    Morgan Hill police asks anyone with information related to this case to contact Detective Sergeant Sean Bayard at 408-607-3032 or via email at sean.bayard@morganhill.ca.gov.

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    Victoria Meza

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  • Two men arrested in Morgan Hill stalking case

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    MORGAN HILL — Two Colombian nationals were arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of stalking a woman in Morgan Hill, police said.

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    Jason Green

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  • Popular Morgan Hill pumpkin patch causes issues for local farmers, residents say

    Popular Morgan Hill pumpkin patch causes issues for local farmers, residents say

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    A Morgan Hill pumpkin patch is getting great reviews from visitors, but some neighbors have started complaining about the grid locking and noise.

    Close to 10,000 visitors made their way to Spina Farms on Sunday, but one neighbor said getting home became a hassle.

    “I am a farmer, and it took me an hour and a half just to drive a mile to get here. I don’t have an hour and a half to lose,” said the person who asked not to be identified.

    Visitors have also been blocking people’s homes as they attempt to find parking.

    Danny Estrada, the operations manager at Spina Farms, has been proactive in addressing the concerns. He mentioned that the farm is actively exploring solutions, such as creating a back road for the neighbors.

    “We are limited by the infrastructure provided by Santa Clara County, but we have also hired the CHP and Sheriff’s office to come in and do traffic control,” Estrada said.

    After complaining about people blocking their homes, Estrads said the farm put up hay bales and signs to encourage people to use Spina Farms’ parking lot. Admittedly, some say it has helped, but many are still worried that with thousands of people creating gridlock, they won’t be able to get out quickly during an emergency.

    Neighbors have also complained about guests blasting small pumpkins in the field until 9 p.m. since the patch has been open.

    Estrada said the patch has been adhering to the county noise ordinance, so the blasters and amplified music stopped at 9 p.m.

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    Marianne Favro

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  • Ex-pharmacy tech charged with murder in South Bay fentanyl overdose

    Ex-pharmacy tech charged with murder in South Bay fentanyl overdose

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    Fentanyl crisis: What makes the drug so deadly


    Fentanyl crisis: What makes the drug so deadly

    03:08

    MORGAN HILL – A disgraced pharmacy technician who lost his state license has been charged with murder in connection with the fentanyl overdose death of a South Bay woman, prosecutors said.

    The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office confirmed to CBS News Bay Area that 34-year-old Benjamin Nathan Williams was charged Friday with murder and felony drug sales in the death of 26-year-old Hope Warrick last year.

    According to an investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, Warrick was found dead in her apartment in unincorporated Morgan Hill on Feb. 13, 2023 by her mother.

    The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Warrick had cocaine, amphetamine and fentanyl in her system when she died. Tests determined the substance found in Warrick’s home contained both cocaine and fentanyl.

    During a search of Warrick’s phone, deputies said she performed a Google search on “how to tell if there is fentnynl (sic) in something.”

    Investigators also found a conversation between the victim and Williams that took place the night before her death. The messages purportedly show Williams selling Warrick what she believed was cocaine and “added in some extra for her.”

    Investigators said drug dealers often add fentanyl to narcotics to produce a stronger high.

    According to the Department of Consumer Affairs Board of Pharmacy, Williams had previously served as a pharmacy technician at the Walgreens in Marina, near Monterey. Williams’ license was revoked in 2021 after he admitted to stealing pills, including hydrocodone and morphine.

    Deputies said Williams was arrested on Nov. 8, 2023 in Morgan Hill on suspicion of robbery and evading a police officer. Following the arrest, Williams’ phone was seized, which also revealed the same messages sent between William and Warrick.

    Jail records show Williams is being held at the Santa Clara County Jail on $71,000 bail.

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    Tim Fang

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  • Ex-Santa Clara County deputy pleads guilty to faking a drive-by shooting

    Ex-Santa Clara County deputy pleads guilty to faking a drive-by shooting

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    A former Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty Tuesday to staging a 2020 drive-by shooting incident in which he claimed to have been targeted and shot near Morgan Hill.

    The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office stated that Sukhdeep Gill had not, in fact, been shot four years ago, contradicting the tale he spun for authorities about a single bullet fired from a passing car precisely striking his body-worn camera. He was charged in 2021 with felony vandalism, as well as a misdemeanor count of making a false police report.

    On Tuesday, Gill accepted a plea deal, admitting to misdemeanor charges of vandalism and falsely reporting a crime and agreeing to perform 150 hours of community service.

    The agreement also requires Gill to pay restitution and surrender his certification to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, barring him from serving as a peace officer in California.

    Gill began his career with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department in 2016.

    At 10:32 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2020, Gill pressed an emergency broadcast button on his radio and exclaimed, “Shots fired! Shots fired!” This prompted officers to respond from the sheriff’s office as well as the San Jose, Morgan Hill and Gilroy police departments.

    Gill informed officers at the scene that, while heading back to his patrol car after urinating on the side of the road, a silver sedan with its headlights off had fired multiple shots at him, piercing his body camera and armor.

    The former deputy said he fired two shots toward the suspect vehicle, which fled the scene. Police labeled the incident as a “premeditated attempted murder.”

    Detectives from Gill’s own agency investigated the purported drive-by and determined it hadn’t happened the way he had told it, the Sheriff’s Office said in 2021. The investigation revealed evidence, including ballistics, that exposed serious discrepancies in Gill’s account of the drive-by.

    “I have gone to officers’ funerals after they are shot,” Dist. Atty. Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “I hope to never hear again about an officer faking being shot. It’s outrageous, diverts public resources, and dishonors officers who put their lives on the line to protect us.”

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    Anthony De Leon

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