A court ruling invalidates a lawsuit that claimed Santa Clara County incorrectly applied an emergency clause to Measure A that allowed the county to put the sales tax increase on the ballot as a general tax. California’s Sixth District Court of Appeal on Sept. 23 affirmed the county Board of Supervisors’ declaration that the county...
Santa Clara looks to ban recreational nitrous oxide sales
Santa Clara is preparing to ban recreational sales of nitrous oxide products, also known as whippets. But smoke shops within city limits have already started moving away from selling them. The City Council on Tuesday received an update on the proposed ban, which would prohibit the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide for recreational use...
Public health clinic opens on San Jose-Campbell border
Santa Clara County’s newest health clinic on the border of San Jose and Campbell is its largest, combining more than a dozen services under one roof. The Valley Health Center campus at 1410 S. Bascom Ave. opens Sept. 28 and will provide adult medicine, urgent care, pediatric primary care, dental care, obstetrics and gynecology, behavioral...
East San Jose hospital adds more emergency beds
An East San Jose hospital continues to increase services under Santa Clara County’s ownership — including the latest expansion of its emergency department. This comes after the hospital faced years of divestment under a previous corporate owner. The county has increased emergency beds at Regional Medical Center from 34 to 54 at a time when...
Santa Clara County moves forward with jail transformation
Santa Clara County’s efforts to construct new jail facilities have repeatedly stalled due to rising costs and ongoing disagreements among officials and residents, but the deteriorating infrastructure is propelling the county to finally move forward. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to proceed with a multistep plan to overhaul and...
State dollars ease Santa Clara County public hospital cuts
Public hospitals in California have been thrown a lifeline thanks to the advocacy work of Silicon Valley lawmakers, but more is needed to save the bleeding caused by federal budget cuts. State Assemblymembers Patrick Ahrens, who represents North San Jose, Sunnyvale and Cupertino, and Ash Kalra, whose district includes East San Jose and South County,...
San Jose airport plans sensory room for neurodivergent children
A trip through the airport can be a lot to handle. But the stress and anxiety from crowded queues and unfamiliar sights and sounds can be even more pronounced for children with autism or other sensory sensitivities. San Jose Mineta International Airport will soon be opening a room specially designed to provide these young travelers...
Silicon Valley hospital among best in the U.S.
Dan Koski doesn’t know where he would be without the care of doctors, therapists and nurses at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center. An accident while swimming in the ocean this year caused a spinal injury that left Koski paralyzed in his arms and legs. By a stroke of luck, he was admitted to...
San Jose paramedicine pilot could provide timely intervention
The San Jose Fire Department is rethinking how it responds to emergency medical calls. Under a new pilot program, greenlit by the City Council as part of the recently completed annual budget process, the city is preparing to launch a “community paramedicine” team of firefighter paramedics trained to help patients with complex needs that can’t be...