When a child has a medical emergency and is rushed to a hospital, doctors and nurses are ready. But if that same child has a mental health emergency, there is no hospital in Santa Clara County available to treat a minor. For decades the problem remained under the radar, until one day a friend of...

When the San Jose City Council appointed two new members last week, it felt like a snub of democracy for some. It was the culmination of a heated and lengthy debate over how to fill two open seats on the 11-member council. District 10 became vacant after former Councilmember Matt Mahan became mayor and District 8 opened...

For decades San Jose has tried to find its identity through an iconic landmark. The latest quest is an art installation called Breeze of Innovation, culled from nearly 1,000 international submissions. The 500 flexible, 200-foot rods are designed to sway in the wind and light up the sky at night. In renderings the idea looks like...

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors had a rare opportunity to right a wrong after twice violating state transparency rules in a closed-door meeting, and they blew it. After San José Spotlight this month exposed Brown Act violations linked to a secretive decision to appoint a new county executive and questioned the rush to hire, officials admitted...

As we enter the final stretch to election day, nasty campaigning has reached full throttle. No matter the rationale behind this negative form of vote-getting, none of it provides any value to a voter’s decision-making process, unless sensationalism is the new guidepost. Attacking a candidate’s character offers no insight into a candidate’s platform, or how...

This story is part of a project called Democracy Day, in which newsrooms across the country are shining a light on threats to democracy and what action is needed to protect it. Why would a small local news organization sue the 10th largest city in the country? What could it possibly gain? The legal costs are...

The second Tuesday in November has all the makings of becoming one of the most significant midterm elections in San Jose history. Still, that history making moment could be a washout if voter participation is low. We won’t know how San Jose fares until the final results, but surprises can happen when voter engagement is...

When is comes to dining out, you might think of Los Gatos and Saratoga or places further up the peninsula before San Jose comes to mind. Restaurants are not often clustered in San Jose as they are in San Pedro Square in the downtown core. That makes it difficult to scout places to eat in...

In a week’s span, two decisions were made that on the surface had absolutely no correlation. Yet in a circuitous way, they did. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to authorize an additional $1 million to the Vietnamese American Service Center. The center which opened last October is a phenomenal success. The new...

One year ago today, nine people lost their lives in a mass shooting among more than 100 workers on site at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency. They ranged in age from 29 to 63. They left families, friends and co-workers who would never hear “good morning” or “good night” again. From that moment on,...