Author: Joseph Geha (Joseph Geha)

Empty San Jose offices could convert to housing

As major cities like San Jose and San Francisco struggle with emptied out downtowns after the pandemic pushed huge swaths of people to remote work, discussion of converting empty offices to housing is gaining traction. The Office to Housing Conversion Act, or AB 1532, would allow certain office buildings to be converted to housing across...

What’s next for the former Fry’s HQ in San Jose?

A plan to build a massive office campus in North San Jose over the next decade is moving forward after winning approval from the San Jose City Council Tuesday evening. Campbell-based Bay West Development plans to build nearly two million square feet of office space across seven buildings on the site of the shuttered Fry’s...

Milpitas axes third city manager in six years

Frustrated Milpitas residents and councilmembers are calling for a reversal on the sudden decision to let go of City Manager Steve McHarris. McHarris is the third city manager to be let go in Milpitas since 2017, and is yet another loss in leadership that has shocked residents and left them wondering when the tumultuous string...

Lawsuit alleges Santa Clara County violated disability law

A Northern California man is suing Santa Clara County’s legal system, claiming he was denied proper hearing accommodations to help him communicate during jail time and in court proceedings. Howard Herships, 79, alleges in a federal lawsuit that the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office and a judge in county court...

San Jose State University statue defaced

One of the most iconic statues in San Jose and the racial justice movement was defaced over the weekend. The “Victory Salute” statue at San Jose State University—which depicts alumni and African American Olympic athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos—was found defaced on Saturday, university officials said in a campus-wide email. The statue, which has...

Booms and busts: Silicon Valley economy divided

Silicon Valley’s economy is waiting to see how recent changes like remote work culture and the slowdown of pandemic-driven booms in the tech sector play out, according to a new regional report. Even with that in play, the most consistent indicators show Silicon Valley is still a place of drastic divides, with gaps between the haves...