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Any San Jose student could receive a free school meal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now California is making sure that doesn’t stop with the start of this school year. California is the first state in the country to pass the Universal Meals Program, which requires schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to students regardless of...
Fact check: San Jose police staffing at center of mayor’s race
In San Jose politics, history has a way of repeating itself. Eight years ago when Mayor Sam Liccardo sought the city’s top political job, the biggest issue on the campaign trail was police staffing levels. That comes as no surprise—Liccardo as a councilmember strongly backed Measure B, a 2012 initiative championed by his predecessor Chuck...
Election 2022: Santa Clara County cities see several contests
Residents across the South Bay will elect some new representatives this November, as a number of seats are up for grabs. Local races were expensive and competitive in the June primary election, with many incumbents seeking reelection and new candidates jumping in to shake up the status quo. Candidates vying for council seats in smaller...
Los Gatos faces multi-million dollar budget shortfall
Multiple tax increases may be required in the town of Los Gatos as a budget deficit looms in the near future. While the Los Gatos Town Council voted last week to put a measure before voters in November to raise about $1 million annually by sharply increasing business license taxes, that may not be enough...
San Jose councilmember eyes next political move
San Jose Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco looks to be heading down a new political path— vying for a seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Education. Carrasco, who represents District 5 on the city council, terms out of office at the end of the year. She filed papers to run for trustee area 6 on the county education...
San Jose fire station is 15th busiest in the nation
A San Jose fire station ranked nationally for responding to thousands of service calls, but that notoriety speaks to a larger problem. Fire Station 26 received more than 5,800 service calls in 2021, ranking 15th in the nation. But the station is just one of 34 firehouses in the San Jose Fire Department, which is...
Santa Clara mayor, school district may have skirted state labor laws
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s property management company and a local school district appear to have violated state labor laws by failing to pay prevailing wages to contractors at an affordable housing site for teachers, a San José Spotlight investigation has found. Casa Del Maestro, located at 3455 Lochinvar Ave., was a first-of-its-kind effort in the...
North San Jose hotel could be boon to Alviso community
A burgeoning area of Alviso along the Guadalupe River could soon see construction begin on a new upscale business hotel. Following two different appeals challenging the development’s environmental review that were quashed by the San Jose City Council, Milpitas-based Terra Development Partners has been given the green light to move forward with plans for the...
The Biz Beat: Western wear gallops in tech-driven San Jose
When customers walk through the doors of Winchester Western Wear, they’re hit with a blast from the golden past of California’s ranching era. Framed posters hang above shelves lined with intricately detailed cowboy boots that capture the store’s 40-year history. Crocodile skin boots worth $15,000 rest in a display case, and a working cash register...
One San Jose woman’s journey out of homelessness
After nearly two harrowing decades of living on the streets, Kellie Goodman finally has the keys to her first San Jose apartment. “I cried,” Goodman told San José Spotlight. “Then I took a long shower and jumped into bed. I haven’t been able to do that for a long time.” Goodman, who used to work...