A new political action committee was formed to pay for a recount of the contentious Congressional District 16 race, further obscuring who is actually funding the effort. The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters has been receiving checks from Count the Vote, an independent expenditure committee, or super PAC, to help fund the highly scrutinized...
Milpitas police launch transparency website
Milpitas residents can review police data on crimes and other incidents with the launch of a new digital dashboard. The city’s police information dashboard came online Friday. It houses crime data, the department’s annual reports and officer misconduct information. Residents can also use the website to learn more about the department’s policies and demographics. “I...
Santa Clara County to study ban on artificial turf
Santa Clara County may need an abundance of lawn mowers if artificial turf is banned on public playing fields. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 3-2 to study the ramifications of artificial turf on county land, with Board President Susan Ellenberg and Supervisor Cindy Chavez voting no. The proposal came from...
UPDATE: San Jose names new independent police auditor
San Jose has appointed a new independent police watchdog after months of scandal and instability plagued the office responsible for investigating officer malfeasance. Eddie Aubrey, who heads the office of professional accountability for the Richmond Police Department, is taking his expertise down south as San Jose’s independent police auditor (IPA). The San Jose City Council...
Silicon Valley water supplier plans rate hikes
Santa Clara County residents could see higher water bills in the upcoming year, as one water agency looks for ways to cover costs. Valley Water, the region’s main water supplier, is proposing raising groundwater production charges on cities and private water retailers. The increase will be passed on to household ratepayers through local water companies such...
San Jose community college’s newest chancellor is familiar face
After a national search, a local community college district has selected one of its own as chancellor. The San Jose-Evergreen Community College District board of trustees unanimously appointed Beatriz Chaidez — who’s acted as interim chancellor since July — as permanent chancellor last week with an annual salary of $385,360. Board President Tony Alexander said...
Silicon Valley congressional race recount begins
In a massive warehouse behind the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, election workers are pulling hundreds of boxes from storage to begin the recount for the highly-anticipated race to replace Rep. Anna Eshoo’s Silicon Valley congressional seat. The first day of the Congressional District 16 recount is one of preparation, rather than retabulation. About 30...
San Jose park maintenance has multimillion-dollar backlog
A multimillion-dollar work backlog in San Jose is leaving empty spaces where playground equipment used to be, basketball courts eroded and turf riddled with holes from squirrels and gophers. San Jose’s parks department has a more than $554 million infrastructure backlog, according to a 2024 city status report — with many East Side parks in disrepair. Most of...
San Jose airport adapts to new world of travel
Ridership is climbing back up across Bay Area airports after COVID-19 sent traffic plummeting, and the battle for airway dominance is intensifying. Oakland officials this week approved renaming its airport to include “San Francisco” in the title, provoking a lawsuit from the region’s dominant competitor across the bay, San Francisco International. But it also raises...
Who’s behind recount in Silicon Valley congressional race?
Two men from different counties have pushed for a recount in a highly-scrutinized Silicon Valley congressional race — but Jonathan Padilla, a longtime supporter and ally of leading candidate and former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, has already put down the deposit. The recount is expected to begin Monday. Dan Stegink, a former San Mateo...