Santa Clara County is expanding clinic space for youth with developmental disabilities at county-owned O’Connor Hospital to accommodate more patients. The Pediatric Development Specialty Center will grow into an additional suite on the third floor of the hospital to give more space for clinical social workers, speech therapists and psychologists to work with youth with learning...
Silicon Valley nonprofit’s purchase furthers Coyote Valley legacy
A multimillion-dollar purchase of 207 acres by the Peninsula Open Space Trust adds a critical safety facet to the preservation of Coyote Valley in South County. The $5.5 million purchase of a former dairy farm by the nonprofit protects the northwestern ridge of Coyote Valley from future development. Coyote Valley, which provides wildlife connectivity between...
Santa Clara County leaf blower ban dropped over ICE fears
A discussion among Santa Clara County supervisors on everyday gardening tools this week morphed into concerns about immigration witch hunts. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously axed Board President Otto Lee’s proposal for banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in unincorporated neighborhoods. Other supervisors worried the law would send a message encouraging residents...
California immigrant fast-food workers afraid to report work abuses
A report on fast-food workers shows immigrants are often too scared to report violations and are largely unaware of their rights. The California Fast Food Workers Union’s latest report done in collaboration with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights documents worker experiences. The groups surveyed 405 workers at more than 200 fast-food locations throughout the...
San Jose fire hid drug tampering, patient exposure
San Jose firefighters raised internal alarms in 2023 about addictive painkillers that went missing from their paramedic drug inventories, and gave morphine from tampered vials to patients with traumatic injuries, according to email records obtained by San José Spotlight. The emails indicate Fire Chief Robert Sapien and city leaders knew about a firefighter drug theft...
‘It’s a stupid idea’: California lawmakers say about reopening Alcatraz
California lawmakers reacted to President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he would reopen Alcatraz with laughter, mockery and, for Democrats, indignation. “I won’t suggest who should go there first,” Rep. Sam Liccardo said. Trump posted on Sunday evening that he was ordering the refurbishment of Alcatraz, the island prison-turned historic landmark and tourist site off of...
Silicon Valley schools threatened by federal funding cuts
Silicon Valley school district educators and politicians are emphasizing how federal funding cuts will hurt vulnerable students and lead to a loss of teachers. Congressmember Sam Liccardo, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Campbell Union School District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez spoke out at Rosemary Elementary School April 23 against proposed funding cuts to special education and...
Santa Clara County education layoffs unfounded, state lawmakers say
A handful of state lawmakers and Silicon Valley leaders are calling on the Santa Clara County Office of Education to reverse the layoffs of hundreds of teachers serving low-income preschoolers, migrants and special education students. The Monday letter — signed by state Sen. Dave Cortese and Assemblymembers Ash Kalra and Patrick Ahrens — questions the layoffs...
UPDATE: San Jose transit agency mulls over regional sales tax
At a VTA board meeting Thursday night, chaos and confusion reigned with directors unable to decide on an approach to a proposed transit tax measure. The VTA board heard a presentation on Senate Bill 63, which would create a sales tax district to support transit across the Bay Area. However, boardmembers couldn’t agree on whether...
San Jose business owner loses property for BART expansion
Sridhar Kollareddy walks between thousands of imported marbled granite slabs, slated to become countertops or gravestones. His business, Silicon Valley Granite, has sold the slabs across the Bay Area for 20 years from his San Jose facility. But now, he’s being forced to vacate the property in less than 72 hours to make way for...