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San Jose free food pilot feeds those in need

Residents in affordable housing across San Jose and Palo Alto have access to free food through an effort to prevent food waste and provide support to low-income families. First Community Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, is offering free groceries in a pilot program at Iamesi Village in downtown San Jose and Curtner Studios near Guadalupe Parkway....

Silicon Valley town may be tied up in building rules

Hundreds of new apartments could soon spring up in Los Gatos, as town officials continue revising plans to increase housing. Regulators still haven’t approved Los Gatos’ “housing element”—the state-mandated plan that lays out how towns and cities will help accommodate the state’s affordable housing goals. But builders are still pushing ahead. The town’s initial housing...

Longtime San Jose leader first to enter District 10 race

Longtime government leader and media specialist Lenka Wright is running to represent South San Jose. Wright, a former broadcast journalist turned communications director for Mountain View, is eyeing the District 10 San Jose City Council seat to represent the Almaden and Santa Teresa area. She is the first to announce her candidacy for the 2024 election, although incumbent...

‘It’s just a matter of time’: How Santa Clara County is preparing for fires

A few embers from a fire can become catastrophic in minutes, igniting new blazes that can rip through homes, businesses and acres of land. That’s why Ali Tohidi, mechanical engineering assistant professor at San Jose State University, and his team are studying how embers, also known as firebrand showers, spread. The team at SJSU’s Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research...

San Jose mayor accused of toxic work environment

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is facing claims of a toxic work environment from ex-employees who say the office is rife with condescension, broken promises and overwork—leading to staff turnover. Since taking office in January, six people have left the mayor’s team of about 25 people, compared to other freshman policymakers who have seen a...

Why don’t all San Jose elected officials pay their interns?

Student interns eagerly enter San Jose City Hall year-round with dreams of launching their political careers, but only some leave with a paycheck. On the 18th floor of city hall, there are currently 66 student interns who work for councilmembers or the mayor—and about 60% are paid for their time. Just seven interns receive hourly pay...

San Jose community college district selects new interim chancellor

The San Jose-Evergreen Community College District has selected a new interim chancellor with decades of experience in the education field who starts this month. The board of trustees unanimously appointed Beatriz Chaidez to the position, where she will succeed former interim chancellor and San José Spotlight columnist, Raúl Rodríguez. Chaidez has nearly 25 years of...

Moffett Park development can anchor Sunnyvale’s future

Nearly two decades ago, Sunnyvale Planning Commissioner Larry Klein helped lay out a plan to support continued growth of the city’s burgeoning Moffett Park into the major corporate office and research hub it is today. Now, Klein is the mayor, and the city is once again plotting out a vision to help revamp Moffett Park over...