Morgan Hill Times

Police investigate the scene where Donna House was found. A devoted husband's frantic, two-day search for his missing wife ended with the discovery that she took her own life in a Morgan Hill strip mall parking lot. Jim House will remember his 44-year-old wife, Madonna House - who went by Donna - as a beautiful mother, wife and best friend. "She was under a tremendous amount of stress," Jim ... Full Story »

It's raises versus layoffs again for city workers. So far, most signs point to layoffs, and even the thin police department could see a reduction in force. March renegotiations with the city's three labor unions saved the city $400,000. At the time, the move was heralded as a testament to the good relations between the city and its workers. But the economy tanked further, and the city is again ... Full Story »

Photo by: File Photo A long-stalled project that would permanently solve Morgan Hill's flooding problem won't be completed in time, but the city and local businesses are preparing to minimize the possible damage of an incoming storm that could drown the downtown area next week. As of now, the National Weather Service is expecting slightly more than an inch of rain to fall steadily Monday through ... Full Story »

Nothing, not even a trip to the emergency room, will stop local filmmaker in Morgan Hill resident Grant Richards from Saturday night's premiere of "Spyware", his latest romantic thriller. Inspired in part by real life and the writer's dreams, "Spyware" follows the story of a Silicon Valley computer programmer who suspects she's the target of a tech-savvy Internet predator. In the film, the ... Full Story »

Morgan Hill police examine the car where they found a body Wednesday afternoon. Photo by: Staff The husband of a missing woman confirmed this morning that she took her own life in a car in Morgan Hill. Morgan Hill Police found the body inside a gray Honda Accord Wednesday afternoon. The car closely matched the description of the vehicle driven by a Gilroy woman - Madonna House - who has been ... Full Story »

Morgan Hill police investigate the scene surrounding a body found in a strip mall parking lot Wednesday. Photo by: Staff Morgan Hill Police confirmed they found a dead body inside a gray Honda Accord this afternoon. The car closely matched the description of the vehicle driven by a Gilroy woman who has been missing since Monday. "It's very preliminary in the investigation," Cmdr. David Swing ... Full Story »

Opponents of Gilroy's medical marijuana dispensary are gathering signatures to present to the City Council next week, while MediLeaf claims it has nearly 500 Gilroy members. Meanwhile, police have taken a few reports during the last few weeks of medical cannabis being found around youths, although none have been tied to MediLeaf. It is still unknown whether Judge Mary Jo Levinger will grant the ... Full Story »

Morgan Hill police investigate the scene surrounding a body found in a strip mall parking lot Wednesday. Photo by: Staff A body was found inside a late model sedan in the parking lot of a strip mall in south Morgan Hill. Authorities released few details about the death that was reported to Morgan Hill police Wednesday afternoon, according to Cmdr. David Swing. Police did not release the gender ... Full Story »

Live Oak's Cody Gallizioli drives towards the basket on a breakaway as Scotts Valley's Corey Reitsma goes for the block during the third quarter of their game Tuesday. Photo by: Lora Schraft MORGAN HILL -- It was not the outcome Brett Paolucci was hoping for to jump-start his second coaching stint with the Live Oak boys basketball team, but he could live with Tuesday's one-point loss in overtime ... Full Story »

A flier that Donna House's family has posted around Gilroy. Photo by: Special to The Times A Gilroy family is searching for their mother, wife and relative after she went missing on her way to the San Jose Airport. Donna House, 44, said goodbye to her husband, told him she loved him, and set off to the airport at 5 a.m. Monday, said Amanda Wilborn, House's relative by marriage. House said she ... Full Story »

Photo by: File Photo Morgan Hill Police arrests Driving without a valid license Benjamin G. Naranjo, 26, 9:22 p.m. Nov. 6, at U.S. 101 and Tennant Avenue. Sebastian E. Sanchez, 38, 1:20 a.m. Nov. 8, at Monterey Road and Tilton Avenue. Warrant Deborah L. Stiers, 42, 10:20 p.m. Nov. 6, on the 16500 block of Condit Road. Thomas P. Archibeque, 42, 11:07 p.m. Nov. 6, at Tennant Avenue and Monterey ... Full Story »

Sheriff's arrests Driving on the wrong side of the road Jose Aaron Ferreyra-Calder, 18, of Watsonville, 6:15 a.m. Nov. 20, near Hecker Pass Highway and Burchell Road for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and driving on the wrong side of the road. Under the influence of a controlled substance Johnny Morales Jr., 27, of Gilroy, 10:01 p.m. Sunday, near First Street and Wayland Avenue ... Full Story »

Vincent Cardinalli Sr., left, and Paul Greer, in photos from about three years ago. The judge has not allowed cameras into the courtroom on recent requests, but has not specified why. Photo by: File Photo After stumbling through a preliminary hearing without an attorney, a man accused of manipulating local courts to turn a profit heeded the advice of judges and lawyers and secured his own ... Full Story »

Joel Barnes, 39 Photo by: File Photo Prosecutors do not expect a plea anytime soon from a Morgan Hill man who allegedly drove a truck at sheriff's deputies en route to evading them three times this past summer. Joel Barnes, 39, faces a litany of charges ranging from misdemeanor battery to felony assault on a police officer and various weapons charges, including possession of a machine gun ... Full Story »

Atop Pine Ridge, Eric's Bench is one of Times outdoors columnist Ron Erskine's favorite places in Henry Coe State Park. (PHOTO BY RON ERSKINE.) Photo by: Staff I am sitting on Eric's Bench atop Pine Ridge, one of my favorite places in Henry Coe State Park. This quiet spot, barely a half mile from the visitor center, is set among an unlikely stand of ponderosa pines and enjoys a sweeping view for ... Full Story »

The eight Morgan Hill junior high school students who visited Mizuho, Japan last summer Photo by: Special to The Times Eight Morgan Hill junior high students returned to school this fall with an exciting tale to tell in the standard essay question, "What I did on my summer vacation." Steven Baird, Brandt Garber, Laura Groen, Natasha Harried, Shanley Sullivan, Roshni Vyas, Marissa van Rhijn and ... Full Story »

GILROY -- The Gavilan College men's basketball team lost a pair of non-conference games last week to Columbia College and Ohlone College. Last Tuesday, the Rams dropped a 76-69 decision to Columbia, then fell to Ohlone on Saturday by a 90-77 margin. Gavilan is 1-3 on the early season, and will return to action on Thursday when it begins a three-day tournament at Monterey Peninsula College. Full Story »

Michael Rodrigues, seen here, had a public defender during his recent case. The costs related to his defense came to $148,000, according to figures provided by the county. Photo by: File Photo Public defender fees in the Michael Rodrigues rape trial will cost San Benito County taxpayers $148,000, according to figures provided by the County Administration Office. Rodrigues, the former San Benito ... Full Story »

MORGAN HILL -- The curtain goes up today for local prep hoopsters, as the 2009-10 basketball season opens for both Live Oak teams and the Sobrato girls. Brett Paolucci's much-anticipated second coaching tenure at Live Oak begins at 7 p.m., when the Acorns and Scotts Valley tip off in the Live Oak Gym. The Acorns are coming off of a third straight losing season -- 7-18 -- which led to the firing ... Full Story »

GILROY -- Gavilan's 2009 football squad earned six players on the All-Coast Conference Team announced recently. Four Rams from the offensive unit and two off the defense were named all-conference after the team went 2-2 in conference action, 3-6 overall. De Anza, the conference champion, netted the Coach of the Year (Dan Atencio), Offensive Player of the Year (Kevin Vye of Gilroy) and Defensive ... Full Story »

Cresencio Evarado Blas, right, and Benancio Quinones face multiple sex and drug charges. Photo by: Special to The Times The 13-year-old girl who was raped two weeks ago by two homeless men told police she returned to them after allegedly being raped - and after willingly making out with a 20-year-old woman elsewhere - because she wanted more drugs. Her account veers wildly from the suspects ... Full Story »

Sobrato High School senior and student producer Devon Weightman holds the slate as the crew for 'First Dog' prepares to film with actor Tommy 'Tiny' Lister in a parking lot of the Aquatic Center Friday. Photo by: Lora Schraft A year ago, Morgan Hill was awash with lights, cameras and action with the filming of the movie First Dog. That action is returning with the film's world premiere. The star ... Full Story »

Dawn Watts, left, has been named a first-team all-leaguer. (PHOTO BY LORA SCHRAFT.) Photo by: File Photo MORGAN HILL -- Because of her relentless defensive play, Sobrato's Dawn Watts was affectionately referred to as a wall by her peers. West Valley Division foes felt the same way about her this fall. Watts, a junior defender, has been named to the all-league lists, joining teammates Katie ... Full Story »

Don DeLorenzo In a lot of golf swings, the right elbow is the part of the body that many people are unsure where it "fits." This is very true, but there's also a very simple solution. Like many aspects to the golf swing, the secret lies in the set up. If you set up with the right elbow slightly flexed and in tight with your mid-section, it will naturally fall into place. Where is that, you ask ... Full Story »

Photo by: File Photo A Hollister man suffered multiple stab wounds in a late-night attack outside a Morgan Hill bar, police said. Morgan Hill police received a call from Saint Louise Regional Hospital about 2 a.m. Thursday regarding a stabbing victim who went to the emergency room for treatment. The 22-year-old victim, Gilberto Bailon of Hollister, was contacted by police at the hospital. He ... Full Story »