A controversial San Jose school official has been rebuked and asked to resign, but he won’t step down. The board of the Franklin-McKinley School District on Tuesday voted 4-1 to censure Trustee Marc Cooper and requested his resignation for making remarks it considered hateful toward Muslims. Cooper cast the lone no vote. The decision was...
San Jose abandoned vehicle program frustrates residents
A new city audit has awarded high marks to San Jose’s program for clearing abandoned or inoperable vehicles from city streets. But the finding has met with skepticism and renewed calls for reform from residents and city leaders who say the longstanding problem is still far from being solved. The report from the City Auditor’s Office...
San Jose school district considers two options for worker housing
One San Jose school district is keeping its options open as it considers which path to take in addressing the need for workforce housing. San Jose Unified School District submitted an application to the city late last month to move forward with its workforce housing project at 760 Hillsdale Ave. At the same time, the...
Residents renew calls to close East San Jose airport after recent crashes
Two recent airplane crashes stemming from an East San Jose airport are prompting residents and elected officials to renew efforts to close it. Residents living in the proximity of Reid-Hillview Airport shared their concerns during a Friday news conference at Hillview Park organized by community advocacy group SOMOS Mayfair. They pointed to a crash from a...
Speed camera pilot program revs up in San Jose
After delays due to a lost federal grant, San Jose is rolling out a long-anticipated speed safety camera pilot program intended to save lives by convincing drivers to slow down. Testing and installation of a new network of 33 cameras is already underway, as the city prepares for a Dec. 14 launch. For the first...
Santa Clara County opens long overdue youth psychiatric hospital
For years, children in need of acute psychiatric care in Santa Clara County were being shipped hours away to get treatment. That is about to change as the county opens a new inpatient behavioral health facility for youth. The Behavioral Health Pavilion, located on the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Campus (VMC), will give 35...
Will new state laws reduce dangerous e-bike riding in Silicon Valley?
Los Gatos community leaders are optimistic that new state laws will help control unsafe behavior by riders of electric bicycles and get illegal e-bikes off the streets. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four recent bills that crack down on selling so-called “e-motos” that can exceed the speed limit for legal e-bikes; require more safety gear on...
Will San Jose protect 500+ acres around former IBM site?
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is pushing for permanent environmental protections for more than 500 acres of open space around a former tech research center being purchased by a data center developer. At an Oct. 16 Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association meeting, Mahan said he is working with District 10 Councilmember George Casey to protect...
Decades-old urban garden in San Jose is being evicted
After 27 years, a San Jose urban garden is facing imminent eviction. Plant & Soul California, a beloved urban garden at 76 Race St., has been ordered to vacate its property following a real estate sale. The business is hoping residents, a foundation or angel investor will step up to help it make a counteroffer...
State homeless prevention plan modeled on Santa Clara County
Riding on the coattails of Santa Clara County’s homelessness prevention program, California will be creating its own statewide prevention strategy. State officials are planning out their first homelessness prevention strategy after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1924 last month. The law requires the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to come up with a blueprint for measurable...