Local leaders want federal aid for Santa Clara County residents who’ve been excluded from financial assistance after the recent storms. With more than $50 million in damages countywide, state Sen. Dave Cortese and Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, along with local Congressmembers Jimmy Panetta, Ro Khanna, Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren, have written letters urging President Joe...
Biden excludes Santa Clara County from storm relief funds
President Joe Biden landed in Santa Clara County Thursday to assess the extent of federal aid needed following the devastating storms that pummeled the region. The president deplaned Air Force One at NASA Ames Moffett Federal Airfield around noon, following his announcement to expand federal aid to California counties impacted by severe weather conditions. Funds...
Storms hit farm that feeds East San Jose families
When Teresita Garcia was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer, everything around her fell apart. She felt hopeless and ugly as her bones weakened and hair fell out. But a small little farm in East San Jose offered her a respite, she said, until now. Veggielution is where Garcia, 54, turned to get produce to...
UPDATE: Milpitas officials ban natural gas in new buildings
Milpitas is the latest Silicon Valley city to ban natural gas in all new buildings, disregarding attempts from a local energy company to score an exemption. The Milpitas City Council approved two policies Tuesday to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Councilmembers unanimously approved a policy requiring more electric vehicle charging stations around...
Santa Clara County preps for more rain
Santa Clara County is getting a brief break from the rain before storms return over the weekend, prompting officials to urge residents to prepare for emergencies. In a news conference today, county officials asked residents to sign up for the AlertSCC app, an alert and warning system for flooding, power outages, road closures and mudslides....
San Jose changes rules to replenish tree canopy
San Jose is changing how it manages its shrinking urban canopy after an audit found the city is ineffectively preventing tree loss. San Jose councilmembers voted unanimously Tuesday to change how the city collects and reviews permits to remove trees, develop procedures to enforce replanting requirements and identify large locations to replant trees. There are roughly...
San Jose storms still pose flood threat
The atmospheric river storm is reaching its end, but more rain is on the way. This means the threat of flooding is real for hundreds of homes in San Jose. San Jose saw one of the highest rainfalls in the recent storm from Sunday to Monday, with close to an inch of rain falling overnight,...
Flood risk grows as San Jose expects more rain
San Jose has gone from parched earth to soggy ground after this past weekend’s soaking, and more is on the way. San Jose got nearly 1.5 inches of rainfall last weekend, with some flooding around the South Bay and more serious flooding in the San Francisco area. Some areas around San Jose’s creeks experienced flooding, primarily impacting...
Storm puts San Jose on flood watch
As the South Bay braces for a storm being fueled by an atmospheric river this weekend, San Jose residents are on alert for potential flooding. San Jose should expect up to half of an inch of rain overnight Friday and up to one inch Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service has issued a...
Silicon Valley cement plant could shut down for good
An embattled cement plant near Cupertino might lose its permit to operate next year. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this month to start a process to consider revoking or amending Lehigh Southwest Cement Company’s use permit. The decision comes roughly a month after the company announced it would permanently shut down its cement...