California lawmakers want to protect students and their families from deportation amid threats from the incoming federal administration. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond is sponsoring a bill from state Sen. Lena Gonzalez to protect immigrant families from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. If approved, Senate Bill 48 will establish a one-mile radius safe zone...
Policy
Policy
Silicon Valley health care provider plans two medical campuses
One of Northern California’s largest health care providers has plans to build two medical campuses, as patient overflow is straining Silicon Valley emergency rooms with long wait times and life-threatening delays. Sutter Health is investing $800 million to renovate two large, vacant offices in Santa Clara into non-hospital, outpatient rooms for a range of medical...
Safety improvements planned for Silicon Valley transit corridor
Stevens Creek Boulevard is on the road to a complete renovation in the name of safety and public transit, but improvements are years away. The Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Vision Steering Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to recommend a plan for the nearly 8-mile, heavily-trafficked thoroughfare. The plan could better the unwalkable, dangerous corridor by...
San Jose school district to close three campuses
Another San Jose school district is making the difficult decision to close and consolidate campuses due to declining enrollment. The Berryessa Union School District board of trustees on Wednesday voted 4-1 to close three elementary schools for the 2025-26 academic year: Cherrywood, Toyon and Laneview. The decision aligned with the consolidation committee’s ranked recommendations. Trustee...
San Jose university students still battling homelessness
Homeless San Jose State University students are struggling to find housing — and worry where they’re going to sleep at night as they stress over school work and passing grades. The Student Homeless Alliance, which advocates for unhoused SJSU students, is pushing to expand the number of emergency beds available and for seven safe parking...
San Jose cyclists unhappy with traffic safety barriers
Traffic safety improvements meant to protect San Jose and Los Gatos may have actually made cycling on a busy road more dangerous, bicycle riders said. San Jose transportation department workers recently added plastic barriers known as “bollards” along Los Gatos Almaden Road to protect cyclists in the bike lane from reckless drivers. City leaders made...
San Jose demand for senior meals underestimated cost
San Jose temporarily limited meals for older adults at city community centers in early December amid a budget shortfall — a move that left recipients flustered. The San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services is responsible for administering meals through the Senior Nutrition Program at 13 community centers across the city. Its meals...
West Valley lowers speed limits for safety
Roads in certain parts of fast-paced Silicon Valley have just gotten slower. Los Gatos and Cupertino recently slowed some speed limits by 5 miles per hour in an attempt to promote traffic safety and reduce injuries and fatalities. Los Gatos will lower the speed limit from 35 to 30 mph on certain parts of Blossom...
From San Jose to D.C.: How Sam Liccardo is getting ready
Add one more person to the list of employers feeling the Bay Area’s cost of living pains: An incoming Silicon Valley congressman looking for legislative staff and office space. Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo will be the region’s first new congressman in decades, and he’s at the early stages of building his teams to...
Silicon Valley water district maintains hiring freeze
Silicon Valley’s main water supplier will maintain a hiring freeze in order to offset hundreds of millions of dollars in a budget shortfall. Valley Water officials instituted a hiring freeze in February for 72 job vacancies amid a $222 million budget deficit for the fiscal year ending in June. The skyrocketing price tags for projects...