Catch up on our current Coronavirus LIVE BLOG here. 5:35 p.m. June 17: Most San Jose park restrooms open, Communications Hill staircase still closed Most San Jose park restrooms reopened Monday, according to a city news release. While the news release said park restrooms will be cleaned according to their use, the most frequented restrooms will...
Author: Nadia Lopez (Nadia Lopez)
San Jose Councilman Raul Peralez eyeing run for mayor
After more than a decade of public service, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo is in the final stretch of his tenure with a little more than two years before the nation’s 10th largest city votes for a new leader. And a handful of political leaders are being eyed to replace him, including downtown Councilmember Raul Peralez. Peralez...
San Jose leader unveils task force to tackle COVID-19 racial disparities
San Jose City Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco alongside regional leaders at a virtual meeting Thursday announced the creation of a new task force aimed at tackling the disproportionate number of growing coronavirus cases among the region’s minorities. Carrasco was joined by Assemblymember Kansen Chu of Milpitas, Stephanie Kleinheinz, a nurse practitioner and CEO of School Health Clinics...
San Jose leaders propose sweeping cuts to public safety to close gaping budget hole
With San Jose’s income streams being ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, city leaders are considering shaving more than $10 million off public safety in next year’s budget. The cuts would affect the hiring of police officers and firefighters, reduce access to community services, and delay the expansion of a long-awaited fire station in the city’s...
Coronavirus fears grow for vulnerable Santa Clara County residents as economy reopens
As businesses across Santa Clara County begin to reopen, some officials worry poor communities of color hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic will experience a surge in new cases. To prevent a spike among some of the county’s most vulnerable residents, Board of Supervisors President Cindy Chavez penned a proposal to create an outreach team that...
Report sheds light on San Jose’s debt woes as it confronts pandemic
While the pandemic blows holes in city budgets across the nation, a new report released this month shows San Jose was already financially struggling before the coronavirus collapsed local economies. The annual report, released by the nonpartisan think tank Truth in Accounting, assessed the fiscal health of the top 10 U.S. cities based off each...
Coronavirus LIVE BLOG: May 7 to May 20
Catch up on our current Coronavirus LIVE BLOG here. 4:40 p.m. May 20: University of California schools will be open in the fall, president says The University of California system — with 10 schools serving more than 285,000 students — is set to open this fall using a mix of in-person and online classes, according to President Janet...
San Jose moves forward with mandatory face coverings
San Jose leaders on Tuesday unanimously approved moving forward with a mandatory face covering requirement, despite concerns from San Jose law enforcement that it would criminalize residents. The proposal, authored by Vice Mayor Chappie Jones and Councilmember Sergio Jimenez, would require most people to wear a mask every time they step outside. The new directive...
UPDATE: San Jose leaders approve allowing businesses to operate outdoors
Proposal authored by Mayor Sam Liccardo and Councilmember Dev Davis would allow restaurants, cafes and other retailers set up shop in public spaces.
South Bay homeless residents feel the pain of VTA’s service cuts
Since the coronavirus pandemic first swept across Santa Clara County, the region’s top transit agency — the Valley Transportation Authority — has made massive cuts to its bus and light rail service as transit ridership has plummeted. But for many who don’t have cars and primarily rely on public transit to get around, adjusting to...