The Palo Alto Police Department just regained a clinician from Santa Clara County to assist officer response to acute mental health calls after the program went without one for more than two years. The Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) program began as a pilot in 2021 and pairs a mental health clinician with a police...
Palo Alto council vows to prioritize ‘efficiency’ in 2026
After floundering for hours in their own stratified vocabulary, Palo Alto officials coalesced on Saturday around a new list of goals for 2026: government efficiency, housing production, economic development and the renovation of Cubberley Community Center. The City Council direction, now led by Mayor Vicki Veenker and Vice Mayor Greer Stone, marks a departure from...
Palo Alto braces for lean years as financial outlook worsens
In light of the regional economy downturn, federal cuts and an uncertain political future for the country, Palo Alto leaders are staring down the barrel of years of budget deficits totaling more than $80 million, according to a new financial forecast. While the budget allocation process doesn’t truly begin until next month during the mid-year...
Mountain View’s Nob Hill Foods slated to close in May
After decades serving the Mountain View community, Nob Hill Foods in the Grant Park Plaza shopping center is slated to close in late May. The upscale grocery store is owned by The Raley’s Companies, which acquired the Nob Hill Foods chain in 1998. “The Raley’s Companies leadership team has made the difficult decision to close...
Stanford researchers use AI to monitor rare cancer
After radiation therapy, certain cancer patients face a lingering question: Is a troubling lesion a return of the cancer, or is it damage caused by treatment? At Stanford, researchers are testing an artificial intelligence model designed to help doctors tell the difference. Dr. Michael Chang is an assistant professor in the department of otolaryngology at...
Palo Alto doubles down to meet climate goals
Palo Alto plans to electrify more homes, buildings and cars, as well as expand communications to the community, as part of an effort to meet its ambitious environmental goals, according to a new plan. One of the primary goals of the plan, known as Sustainability/Climate Action Plan, is to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas...
Former Palo Alto fire chief sues city
Just two months after he was honored by Palo Alto’s elected leaders for nearly three decades of service, retired Fire Chief Geoffrey Blackshire has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming the city illegally withheld wages for him for more than five years. The legal dispute revolves around a 3% wage premium Blackshire said he...
Major Mountain View intersection gets new traffic signal
A new traffic signal system and other road safety improvements, including the use of artificial intelligence to detect issues at the intersection, have been installed at Rengstorff Avenue and Latham Street in Mountain View, which has seen frequent collisions. In December, the City Council authorized final construction payments for the roadway improvements, which cost $874,468. The...
Thomas Fogarty, winery founder and medical innovator, dies
Dr. Thomas J. Fogarty, a longtime Portola Valley resident who became as well known for his Fogarty Winery as for his invention of the balloon catheter, a groundbreaking medical device, died on Dec. 28 in Portola Valley. He was 91. Born on Feb. 25, 1934, Dr. Fogarty grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father died...
Mountain View allocates $295K for Super Bowl, World Cup events
Looking to boost local businesses, Mountain View is planning to host watch parties and other community events to draw visitors to the downtown area during the Super Bowl and World Cup this year. At a Dec. 16 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the allocation of $295,000 to fund activities related to the mega-sporting events. With the money, the city plans...