This month, people with non-violent misdemeanor warrants may be able to avoid jail time through a program with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Operation Second Chance gives eligible individuals with a non-violent misdemeanor criminal warrant a chance to turn themselves in to any Santa Clara law enforcement agency and get a citation with a...
Should Santa Clara County school superintendents be elected?
Several resignations and firings across Silicon Valley schools have raised questions about how districts select their top educators — and whether voters should make that decision themselves. Santa Clara County leaders will tackle this question come January, when they weigh letting voters choose the county superintendent instead of the Board of Education. This follows the...
Cupertino council race recount decided by 63 votes
R “Ray” Wang has won a spot on the Cupertino City Council in a tight race that triggered a recount for one of two open seats. Wang will take the second open council seat with 7,641 votes, or 18.5% of the vote, as of Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m. He got 63 more votes than...
Santa Clara County ex-officers boast about jail beatings
Santa Clara County deputies bragged in online groups about beating incarcerated people “between floors” and partaking in brutal behavior at the county’s embattled jail, according to screenshots shared with San José Spotlight. In a private Facebook group that includes 270 former correctional officers and deputies, the members banter about the jail’s elevators making suspicious stops...
Santa Clara electricity rates are going up
Santa Clara residents will see their electricity bill inch upward in the next year, as the city works on improving its power grid. While much of Silicon Valley relies on Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the vast majority of Santa Clara residents get power from Silicon Valley Power. The Santa Clara City Council on Nov....
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San Jose senior apartment tenants take issue with management
An affordable housing development near Willow Glen was supposed to give homeless older adults a safe place to live. Instead, a number of residents are clamoring to leave. Leigh Avenue Senior Apartments, located at Leigh Avenue and Southwest Expressway, provided housing to 63 older adults when it opened in 2021. Seven residents told San José Spotlight...
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San Jose report shows ‘inhumane’ conditions at animal shelter
A critical city report highlighting deteriorating conditions at the San Jose animal shelter echoes concerns advocates and former volunteers have raised for years. San Jose’s Animal Care Center is the city-run adoption center that also serves residents in neighboring cities like Cupertino, Milpitas and Saratoga seeking dogs, cats or rabbits. But several residents with firsthand experience...
Major Santa Clara housing project clears development hurdle
Santa Clara has been bulking up housing in its northern neighborhoods and officials just approved plans for thousands more homes. The Santa Clara City Council unanimously approved an environmental impact report, rezoning and a developers agreement for a 48.6-acre mixed-use development in North Santa Clara on Nov. 19. Real estate firm Kylli Inc. has owned...
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Historic San Jose trolley brings back holiday charm
Commuters pause and stare when the doors open along downtown San Jose’s light rail train stops. Before them isn’t the sleek white transit car they’re used to — but a time machine. VTA officials are reviving their most unique, 96-year-old holiday trolley car after a yearslong absence to run a brief stretch — free of...
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San Jose holiday tradition needs the spirit of giving to stay afloat
Dozens of people crowd around hundreds of trees wearing Santa hats and reindeer antlers, hanging ornaments and laughing. San Jose’s beloved Christmas in the Park is about to enchant Plaza de Cesar Chavez. This year, the nonprofit that brings the holiday joy is asking people to pull out their wallets to fill a six-figure gap...