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A move to honor Cindy Chavez for International Women’s Day is ruffling feathers at San Jose City Hall, with some saying it was politically motivated. Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei and Councilmembers Dev Davis and Pam Foley gave a commendation to the Santa Clara County supervisor for her 20-plus years of public service at the San...
San Jose youth nonprofit CEO has a ‘personal stake’ in change
The new CEO of a Silicon Valley nonprofit that helps homeless teens faced bullying and intimidation as a gay youth. He hopes to channel that experience into bringing change to the lives of young adults struggling with their own identities. Josh Selo took the reins at the Bill Wilson Center last month, replacing former CEO...
Empty San Jose offices could convert to housing
As major cities like San Jose and San Francisco struggle with emptied out downtowns after the pandemic pushed huge swaths of people to remote work, discussion of converting empty offices to housing is gaining traction. The Office to Housing Conversion Act, or AB 1532, would allow certain office buildings to be converted to housing across...
San Jose residents press for updated immigration reform
When San Jose resident Gina Guevara first came to the U.S. years ago, she encountered many barriers. Though she had already earned a telecommunications degree from her home country of Venezuela, she found her job options limited by her undocumented status. That’s why Guevara and others are pushing Congress to pass a federal bill introduced...
San Jose official skips trip to avoid breaking rules
San Jose officials hoping to travel out of state next month almost violated city laws, until one of them dropped out. Six members of the San Jose City Council were set to join the annual trip organized by the San Jose Chamber of Commerce. This year it’s happening in Phoenix, Arizona on April 18-21. But their actions...
Santa Clara County concealed weapons applications skyrocket
A Supreme Court ruling last summer changed two words, starting a chain reaction across the nation for who can obtain a concealed carry weapons permit. In Santa Clara County, it means more residents will be able to carry concealed weapons on the streets. The June 23, 2022 ruling struck down previous regulations that gave the...
‘We will sue you’: VTA strong-arming San Jose property owners to sell
As the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority prepares to bring BART through downtown San Jose, some property owners claim the agency is refusing to negotiate terms. The second phase of the BART extension to San Jose brings the Bay Area rail line through downtown along Santa Clara Street, a stretch that will displace a number...
‘A very dark place’: Silicon Valley leader opens up about fatal crash
More than three years after Jenny Higgins fatally struck Santa Cruz resident Timothy Starkey with her car, she said not a day goes by when she doesn’t think about the pain her actions have caused his family. “I carry a burden of shame, of sadness,” Higgins told San José Spotlight. Higgins, the co-founder and former...
San Jose reveals homelessness data
San Jose is launching a tool to help the public better understand the city’s efforts to address growing homelessness. The Homelessness Program Dashboard lets residents browse different city-run programs and learn more about their results on the city website. The tool shows where funding comes from, which services are being prioritized and how many people are being served. “We can’t expect to solve our...
San Jose small businesses can still apply for COVID rent relief
San Jose has opened its next wave of grants for small businesses to pay off their rent debts accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Small business owners can now apply for grants of up to $15,000 to help pay off the back rent they owe to commercial landlords. San Jose opened applications for the grants last week,...