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Group chants and black masks: that was the scene Friday outside the Santa Clara County Jail as more than two dozen residents and advocates protested for alternatives and reforms to the current system. Led by Silicon Valley De-Bug, protesters gathered at the corner of West Hedding Street and North San Pedro Street to amplify a...
Second Harvest food bank finds new home in North San Jose
To keep up with growing demand, Silicon Valley’s largest food bank is moving to a new home in the Alviso area of North San Jose. The new location for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley will consist of three connected single-story buildings covering approximately 250,000 square feet. The space will consolidate the food bank’s three locations to reduce costs and...
Report shows enforcement is curbing illegal fireworks in San Jose
Firework activity over Fourth of July significantly decreased compared to last year, and city leaders are taking this as a sign that recent enforcement campaigns are working. Earlier this month, members of San Jose’s Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee heard highlights from a report on illegal firework activity leading up to Fourth of July weekend. Between...
Santa Clara County limits water handouts for homeless residents
Some activists claim the county is no longer providing them water to take to homeless encampments—a service offered over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gail Osmer, an advocate for houseless communities, said throughout the pandemic she’s gotten multiple cases of water from the county Office of Supportive Housing to distribute. But earlier this month, she says the...
Santa Clara County registrar ready for recall election
Anticipation surrounding a potential replacement for Gov. Gavin Newsom could contribute to high voter turnout for the upcoming Sept. 14 recall election. Shannon Bushey, registrar of voters for Santa Clara County, estimates a 50-60% voter turnout for the recall election. Part of the reason, Bushey said, is because residents have been expecting the recall election for...
SVO rebrands to San Jose Chamber of Commerce
San Jose’s largest business organization got a facelift with a new CEO in the spring. Now it’s changing its name too. The Silicon Valley Organization, a business chamber that represents more than 1,000 companies in the city, will now be called the San Jose Chamber of Commerce—bringing the city’s name back into the organization for the...
Who is affected by San Jose’s proof of vaccine requirement?
San Jose’s newly-passed vaccination mandate on large events leaves out two groups people: Performers and athletes. According to the city’s new mandate, attendees and workers at events with 50 or more people at city-owned facilities need to show proof of vaccination—a CDC vaccination card, a photo of the card, a note from a doctor or...
San Jose fare inspectors faced hostile work environment, VTA records show
Fare inspectors at VTA complained numerous times about management who contributed to a toxic work culture, including an alleged physical assault on one employee, according to new records obtained by San José Spotlight. In 2017, a VTA fare inspector filed a workplace violence report that accused a supervisor named Ronald Freeman of intentionally bumping into him...
Residents want to recall Santa Clara County supervisors
An effort to recall the top elected officials in the county is starting—but organizers are still gathering volunteers before hitting the streets to canvas for signatures. Jeff Roberts, a Santa Clara County resident inspired by the campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, is trying a similar strategy to remove the entire Board of Supervisors for...
San Jose businesses, leaders push for COVID shots after FDA approval
San Jose business and political leaders hope holdouts in the city will finally get vaccinated following the FDA’s approval of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine earlier this week. On Monday, the FDA officially endorsed Pfizer’s vaccine. Some businesses were waiting for full FDA approval to feel comfortable mandating vaccinations for their employees, said Dr. Jennifer Tong,...