English
Spanish
Vietnamese
At the epicenter of a humanitarian crisis in San Jose where hundreds of people sleep outdoors, another crisis is festering: rats. “They’re everywhere,” Luke Eblieg, an unhoused person living at the sprawling encampment near Columbus Park, told San José Spotlight. “And they are nothing like I have ever seen.” Brown rats are chewing through electrical wires...
San Jose voters to decide on moving mayoral elections
San Jose voters will soon be tasked with deciding if mayoral elections should take place in presidential election years. On Tuesday, the City Council voted 10-1 to put the decision before voters for the June 7 primary election. If the measure passes with a simple majority, it will shift the timing of the next mayoral...
Santa Clara County to support kids who lost parents to COVID-19
Santa Clara County will offer additional support to children who lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved creating a program to identify and support county youth who lost parents or guardians to the virus. The board also directed county officials to come up with options to expand wellness centers...
Report warns of worsening wealth gap in Silicon Valley
The wealth gap is growing worse in Silicon Valley, and nearly half of children in the region are in households struggling to get by. Officials from Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a group that analyzes regional issues affecting the economy and quality of life, highlighted these bleak findings and more at a Tuesday news briefing. Joint...
More billboards proposed near San Jose airport
As San Jose leaders consider allowing two digital billboards to be built at the airport, three more may be quietly coming to the city. Documents obtained by San José Spotlight show the city signed a notice of intent for billboards at Highway 87 and West Mission Street, as well as 1404 Mabury Road and another at...
Silicon Valley jail workers say short staffing led to attack
Staffing shortages at Santa Clara County’s main jail partly caused by COVID-19 may have created conditions that allowed for an inmate assault on a deputy in early January. Details about the attack are murky because the Sheriff’s Office will not release records of the assault. However, a sheriff employee did confirm the main jail was significantly short-staffed...
Food truck brings hot meals, essentials to San Jose homeless
In an effort to serve more unhoused people, one nonprofit sends a food truck out to encampments to meet people where they are. Dubbed “Hope on Wheels,” the food truck visits at least three encampments every week to bring hot meals and essential supplies such as jackets, tarps and hand sanitizer to unhoused people across the South...
San Jose transit agency investigating toxic culture, workers say
Allegations about toxic work culture are surfacing again at VTA—this time in its customer service department. Current and former VTA workers told San José Spotlight a customer service manager, Combiz Khatiblou, was put on paid administrative leave last month and that an investigation is pending. Current and former employees claim Khatiblou contributed to a hostile...
Massive verdict for mogul who tried to buy stake in San Jose casino
A Bay Area casino magnate has won a whopping victory against his former attorney for allegedly spoiling his purchase of part of a San Jose card room. A Sonoma County Superior Court jury announced a $47.4 million verdict for businessman John Park on Feb. 3. The jury found the defendant, Park’s former lawyer Tracey Buck-Walsh,...
Lobbyists contribute to San Jose City Council campaigns
The top lobbyists donating to San Jose’s mayoral race are also ranking high when it comes to City Council campaign contributions. A look at lobbyist donations during the first filing period of the 2022 election season revealed $13,550 of the $196,000 raised for council candidates came from registered lobbyists. Although it only comprises 7% of the...