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The Santa Clara County Board of Education this week filled an almost two-month vacancy on the dais after appointing Tara Sreekrishnan, deputy chief of staff for state Sen. Dave Cortese. Approximately 40 county residents and colleagues of the one-time Cupertino City Council candidate called into Wednesday’s meeting to support her appointment to Trustee Area 2, which...
How will San Jose enforce its proposed gun laws?
San Jose lawmakers proposed first-in-the-nation gun measures in June, mandating that gun owners carry insurance and pay into a public fund to cover gun violence costs. But enforcing the measures might be more difficult than the city anticipates. “The devil is in the details. Sure, gun violence is a very serious problem for the community and that’s true...
Fake San Jose police notice highlights homeless camp tension
A fake police notice distributed at a homeless encampment in South San Jose has amped up tensions between unhoused individuals and nearby homeowners. Notices appeared late Saturday night and indicated the San Jose Police Department would conduct a clean-up in the area the following morning. The letters warned residents to take their things and leave....
Will Santa Clara County see another COVID shutdown?
Nearly two months after California lifted most pandemic restrictions, the Delta variant is driving a surge in positive COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. That’s prompting health officials to reinstate safety guidelines—and raising questions about the possibility of another shutdown. First identified in India, the Delta variant is believed to be twice as contagious as previous dominant COVID-19...
Is free public transit feasible in Santa Clara County?
At a time when VTA is struggling with long-term budget woes, service cuts and the aftermath of a mass shooting, it may seem ludicrous to imagine the agency offering free rides. Transit advocates support the idea of fare-free transit, but say reliable service must come first. The agency would also need to figure out how to...
San Jose Councilmember Dev Davis kicks off mayoral campaign
San Jose Councilmember Dev Davis’ streak of rustic campaign events continued Wednesday as the District 6 lawmaker launched her mayoral campaign at Hapa’s Brewing Company near Willow Glen. “We have to tackle homelessness, we have to recover from the pandemic economically and frankly as a city. And we need to clean up our city,” Davis told San José Spotlight. Wednesday’s...
San Jose employees must vaccinate or be tested
San Jose employees will be required to show proof they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine or take weekly tests, following the lead of the county and many other public agencies. In an email to employees on Wednesday, including the police and fire departments, the city’s Office of Employee Relations said by Aug. 23, it will require...
San Jose State University alumni compete in Tokyo Olympics
Among the 11,000 athletes competing for medals in the Tokyo Olympics, several have ties to San Jose State University. Ten residents — who are San Jose State University alumni — are representing nine different sports at the international competition, according to the city’s website. The athletes weren’t immediately available for comment. Lawrence Fan, spokesperson for...
San Jose police have the lowest COVID vaccination rates in the region
San Jose police hold the lowest vaccination rate among law enforcement agencies within Santa Clara County, including Gilroy, Milpitas, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and the county itself, according to a survey of city employees. But a police union spokesperson has doubts about the survey’s accuracy. A little more than half of all sworn San Jose police officers completed...
Wife of slain San Jose VTA worker pushes for new law
After a disgruntled employee killed her husband more than two months ago, Terra Fritch wanted retribution. With the shooter dead she could only take money from his estate and pension through a lawsuit. But she quickly found her way blocked. “Every lawyer I talked to said by the time we get a conviction, and then...