Lion dancers, story time with characters, a musical performance and a bubble show were part of the festivities surrounding the long-awaited grand opening of the Campbell Library on Saturday. Librarians led hundreds of residents on tours to highlight the special features of the building. The May 9 celebration, hosted by the Santa Clara County Library...
Silicon Valley DA calls out ‘nonessential’ spending amid budget cuts
As Santa Clara County leaders ask their top prosecutor to make cuts during a crushing budget deficit, District Attorney Jeff Rosen is instead questioning county spending he considers nonessential — such as summer leadership camps for county executives. Rosen and a coalition of local law enforcement union leaders on Monday called on the county to review...
Months after opening, Palo Alto police headquarters is largely empty
It’s been nearly six months since Palo Alto leaders celebrated the grand opening of the city’s new public safety building, a $123.5-million facility near California Avenue that took decades of planning and five years of construction. Most of the work on the three-story building at 250 Sherman Ave. was completed by the summer of 2025,...
Santa Clara shifts minor public right-of-way changes to staff
Santa Clara officials are shifting decision-making over certain public right-of-way areas from elected leaders to city staff, with some residents sharing concerns about transparency and accountability. The City Council on Tuesday voted 4-3 to have the city manager approve minor public right-of-way changes, such as fences or structures near sidewalks, without needing to hold a...
Budget cuts will close San Jose safe sleeping site
San Jose plans to decommission its only sanctioned tent homeless encampment months after it opened. The Taylor Street Navigation Hub is scheduled to close by next January as San Jose grapples with its $50 million deficit. The move comes as a shock to homeless advocates, as San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan threw his weight behind the...
Proposed San Jose hotel tax critical to avoid cutting services
Faced with a punishing budget shortfall, San Jose voters are being asked to increase the city’s hotel tax by 2% on the June 2 primary election ballot. San Jose’s Measure A, which will increase the city tax levied on hotel guests from 10% to 12%, has opened up a familiar debate for the consistently cash...
West Valley gets first mobile health clinic
Despite Santa Clara County having the second largest public hospital system in the state, West Valley residents have never had their own county-run health clinic. That’s changing with a new center in Cupertino — and it’s running on wheels. County officials and health leaders gathered at De Anza College on Friday to launch a mobile...
Santa Clara County DA ordered to recuse from Stanford vandalism trial
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul on Thursday ordered the recusal of District Attorney Jeff Rosen and his entire office from retrying a Stanford felony vandalism case, citing a conflict of interest. Rosen filed felony vandalism and conspiracy charges in April 2025 against 12 Stanford University students and allies, after they allegedly broke...
San Jose library could restrict archive access due to budget cuts
Access to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library room housing archives of San Jose and Santa Clara County’s rich history is about to become more limited if proposed cuts to the city’s budget pass. The California Room inside the library may close its services to the public as the city looks for ways to...
Knight Foundation funds first South Bay journalism fellowship
A new journalism fellowship aimed at strengthening local news coverage and training the next generation of reporters is coming to the South Bay — supported by a $155,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The initiative brings together San José Spotlight, The Mercury News and San Jose State University in a...