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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the country to close many businesses, transforming how most people live their lives. But for the workers providing essential services, staying home is not an option. While many Americans have transitioned to working from home, millions out on the front lines continue to show up to work every day, often relying on...
San Jose council approves big affordable housing project in Willow Glen
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday approved a new a six-story, mixed-use Meridian Apartments affordable housing complex in the Willow Glen neighborhood. Councilmembers Maya Esparza and Magdalena Carrasco were absent for the vote. The nine members who were present voted in favor of the development. The Meridian Apartments will sit on a 2.09-acre site...
Update: San Jose slashes budget, approves new sexual assault unit
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved making massive cuts to the city budget for the fiscal year, as officials brace for an expected shortfall of least $45 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s going to be a long road for us,” Budget Director Jim Shannon said. “When we released our forecasts...
San Jose residents protest temporary homeless housing plan
More than 200 South San Jose residents and housing advocates spoke at a virtual town hall Monday night to express concern or applaud a plan to fast-track dozens of new housing units for homeless residents during the region’s shelter-in-place order due to the coronavirus pandemic. “As a city, we really have two emergencies on our...
Coronavirus: Bay Area’s stay-home order will be extended through May
Bay Area residents will continue to shelter in place through May, the top health officials across the region announced Monday, about one week before the current order to stay-home was set to expire. The official order will come “later this week,” according to a joint statement by the seven Bay Area health officers who have...
Exclusive Q&A: Dr. Sara Cody answers San José Spotlight readers
Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody, who led the charge on the nation’s first shelter-in-place order, is a tough person to nail down these days, but on Friday she sat down to answer San José Spotlight readers’ questions. The exclusive Q&A session was streamed online by San José Spotlight on Facebook and moderated...
San Jose: Battle over Fair Elections Initiative goes to court — but who will pay?
After admitting to errors counting signatures for a contentious San Jose ballot initiative, top Santa Clara County elections officials are suing the city to demand it pay for a recount of nearly 100,000 signatures. The lawsuit — filed by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters — aims to reverse a decision the office made in March when...
Surviving the pandemic: How to get into a homeless shelter in Silicon Valley
With nearly 10,000 homeless residents sleeping on Santa Clara County’s streets every night, regional leaders say they’re concerned the novel coronavirus could rapidly spread among one of the county’s most vulnerable populations. County leaders have ramped up their efforts to protect the homeless community from a massive outbreak in the South Bay, which quickly emerged as a...
Coronavirus LIVE BLOG: April 9 to April 22
Catch up on our current Coronavirus LIVE BLOG here. 6:45 p.m. April 22: Santa Clara sees rise in illegal dumping Santa Clara officials said Wednesday that the city is getting “increased reports” of residents leaving things like mattresses and other bulky household wares on public streets. The dumping comes at about the time that the city...
Silicon Valley schools scramble to close enduring gaps during COVID-19
When Bay Area schools closed overnight in mid-March, Miyuki Takeda-Bajan’s daughter couldn’t afford to take time off from her studies — she had an upcoming SAT exam and AP courses. But direction from the school district was slow to arrive. The junior at Pioneer High School in San Jose’s Blossom Valley scoured the web for free testing materials...