San Jose officials are preparing to roll out a revised proposal to increase downtown parking rates, after the original plan met opposition from the city’s business community. The new plan — set to go before the City Council on Tuesday — seeks to soften the financial blow to businesses and workers. It does this in part...
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...
State ballot measure could set strict voting requirements
A statewide ballot measure in the upcoming Nov. 3 election could impact voting rights in Santa Clara County. California Proposition 39 — the Voter Identification, Citizenship Verification, and Registered Voter List Administration Initiative — would require additional identification to vote in future elections. This could have a significant effect on Santa Clara County, where Hispanic...
Santa Clara County sues Trump over sweeping green card changes
Santa Clara County and San Francisco are working to stop President Donald Trump from giving federal agents sweeping discretion on who can obtain a green card. A Sept. 14 lawsuit filed alongside New York City, Chicago, Seattle and King County, Washington alleges the Trump administration’s new criteria for barring immigrants from becoming lawful, permanent residents if they...
Silicon Valley water agency selects new CEO
Santa Clara County’s largest water supplier is turning to a longtime employee to lead the agency into its next chapter after a tumultuous split with the last CEO. The Valley Water board of directors voted 5-2 Tuesday to appoint Aaron Baker as its next CEO. Baker, chief operating officer of water utility, takes over Jan....
Silicon Valley immigrants to face stricter green card requirements
Federal rule changes taking effect later this month will make it harder for immigrants applying to live and work in the U.S. Starting Sept. 18, obtaining a green card will require a greater burden of proof that the applicant won’t become a “public charge” who is dependent on government benefits. As part of the process, green...
Bay Area lawmakers’ bills to combat ICE head to Newsom’s desk
Several state bills spurred by Silicon Valley lawmakers to keep federal immigration agents accountable and uphold rights for detainees are headed to the governor’s desk. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities have been rife with alleged human rights violations, with reports of inhumane living conditions, sexual abuse, unsanitary food and inadequate medical care. In...
Silicon Valley public transit service strengthens rider code of conduct
Caltrain just got its first passenger code of conduct, hoping to make behavior expectations more transparent for rowdy riders. The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain’s governing body, unanimously approved the commuter rail service’s code of conduct at its Thursday meeting. Officials said doing so will bring Caltrain up to speed with peer transit agencies and...
Santa Clara County schools united in opposing ICE facility
School districts across Santa Clara County are taking a stand against a proposed immigration enforcement facility in South County. A coalition of education and county leaders gathered Wednesday to denounce the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center being planned in an unincorporated area just outside Gilroy. The group is sending a joint letter —...
Sunnyvale launches inexpensive ride-hailing service for residents
Sunnyvale residents can now literally get on board with one of the newest public transportation trends: hailing a ride with a local microtransit service. City officials on Tuesday officially launched Sunnyvale Beam with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at City Hall, two weeks after the service quietly started operating. Through the Beam app or with a phone call,...