Sorry kids, but you still need to keep your masks on at school. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed mask requirements for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it recommends K-12 students continue to wear face coverings and keep social distancing. The CDC based this decision on students not being fully vaccinated...
San Jose car thefts on the rise, beating national trends
Vehicle thefts are up across San Jose—and you might be more vulnerable if you drive an older Honda. According to the city, vehicle thefts rose by 15% between 2019 and 2020. Preliminary data shows thefts recorded in January and February of this year outstripped thefts during the same time in 2020 by a whopping 49%,...
Residents ponder what San Jose college should do with 27 acres
After negotiations with a major developer fell through and a lawsuit followed, the 27 acres of open land along Evergreen Valley College remained untouched for years. And now it’s back to the drawing board for what should happen to the college-owned land. The once promising development opportunity sits in limbo as the San Jose Evergreen...
Silicon Valley congressman tackles Black maternal mortalities
Washington, D.C.—Charles Johnson said he quickly notified hospital staff when his wife’s catheter turned pink with blood. His wife, Kira Johnson, had just given birth to their second son during a scheduled cesarean section at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Staff examined his wife and ordered a CT scan, he said, but hours passed...
Silicon Valley education leader pays legal fees with campaign funds
After dropping a lawsuit against the Santa Clara County Board of Education, Trustee Joseph Di Salvo had one last thing to wrap up: legal fees, which he paid off with campaign funds. According to Di Salvo’s latest campaign statement covering Oct. 18 to Dec. 31, 2020, he owes $4,885 to law firm Berliner & Cohen, which represented...
UPDATE: Valley Water OKs 9% rate hikes; faces opposition from San Jose mayor
The Santa Clara Valley Water District, the wholesale water provider for the county, approved water rate hikes in a unanimous vote by its directors Tuesday. Valley Water provides water to the San Jose Water Company, the San Jose Municipal Water System and the Great Oaks Water Company, who then sell the water to residents. It...
East San Jose high schools get new superintendent
A new superintendent is preparing to take the reins in East San Jose and he’s all about leveling the playing field. Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Glenn Vander Zee, who was named East Side Union High School District’s new superintendent last week, shares a vision of empowering students and creating equity. Vander Zee also worked as...
Mansion proposal obstructs Santa Clara Valley ridgeline
A proposed Morgan Hill mansion is the target of a complaint claiming its construction will obstruct ridgeline views—something the county’s decades-old General Plan says should be avoided. “The whole idea is that ridgelines are the most aesthetically sensitive parts of the county, because everyone can see it,” said Brian Schmidt, advocacy director for environmental organization Green...
South Bay students support university system’s COVID vax requirement
Some South Bay college students have no qualms about getting a COVID-19 shot before being allowed back on campus, they told San Jose Spotlight. “All my friends are trying to get vaccinated before heading off to college for safety and convenience,” said Nolan Jeung, a San Jose student who will attend California Polytechnic State University,...
Alum Rock trustees vote to close two San Jose middle schools
Facing a deficit of more than $3 million, Alum Rock Union School District trustees voted unanimously to close Clyde L. Fischer Middle School and Lee Mathson Middle School at the start of the 2021-22 school year. The resolution came from Superintendent Hilaria Bauer, who said student enrollment at the schools is projected to plummet 50% by...