Palo Alto has reached another milestone in its quest to rebuild the Mitchell Park fire station with the City Council approving a series of contracts totaling more than $13 million for a project that has long been viewed by city leaders as a key infrastructure priority. By a unanimous vote, the council approved on Oct....
Santa Clara fights for piece of Super Bowl pie
The small Bay Area city hosting the 2026 Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup wants to make an impression as the world watches. That may be difficult when it’s sandwiched between San Francisco to the north and neighboring San Jose to the south with their big budgets and competitive intentions. Santa Clara is determined not...
San Jose homeless audit highlights failed accountability
San Jose’s homeless outreach efforts have been more concerned about volume than outcomes, and there is little accountability when homeless support nonprofits did not provide adequate services. A city audit of San Jose’s homelessness services released in October found some nonprofits did not meet performance targets or reporting requirements, and the Housing Department failed to...
Recall against Santa Clara official is back
An effort to recall a Santa Clara councilmember is back after hitting a snag, and it’s creating political tension. Resident David Kertes filed a recall petition against District 5 Councilmember Suds Jain Oct. 17 after receiving the needed 60 signatures. He noticed clerical errors in his recall campaign with some misspellings in the paperwork before it...
Newsom signs off on Silicon Valley lawmakers’ bills
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed dozens of bills into laws earlier this month, tweaking bureaucratic processes to improve voter transparency, election accountability and workers rights. Several state lawmakers from San Jose and Santa Clara County had their bills approved. Here’s an overview of some new laws, which take effect Jan. 1, 2026 unless otherwise stated. Improving...
The Biz Beat: Sunnyvale Turkish restaurant embodies meyhane tradition
Turkish food is a vibrant blend of flavors, shaped by the country’s key position along the ancient Silk Road. It’s where Sephardic Jews and Muslims in the south, Greeks across the western sea and Slavs along the Black Sea’s southern edge converged to create a rich culinary tapestry. Sunnyvale’s Meyhouse Restaurant captures this melting-pot heritage...
San Jose hires outsider as animal shelter director
San Jose’s animal shelter has a new leader, and the animal advocacy community is cautiously optimistic she can turn the facility around. City officials recently announced Monica Wylie as deputy director of the Animal Care and Services division, which manages the San Jose Animal Care Center and the 12,000 animals it cares for annually. Wylie brings...
San Jose music venue closure is a loss for indie artists
San Jose will be losing a longstanding music venue with a reputation for giving budding local artists audience exposure. The Art Boutiki will close at the end of December after 16 years of providing an eclectic space for artists of all genres and creating a community for music lovers in San Jose. The music venue...
San Jose approves expanded Taser, body cam contract for police
For years, police technology firm Axon Enterprises has been dogged by accusations that it’s attempting to unfairly corner the market on Tasers and body-worn cameras for law enforcement. Despite some hand wringing, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, with Vice Mayor Pam Foley absent, to approve a new, expanded contract with the firm to...
Santa Clara County faces heat for political mailers
Publicly-funded warnings about disastrous local hospital closures are appearing in the mailboxes of Santa Clara County residents. Critics can’t help but notice the timing. The foreboding mailers, under the county government’s official letterhead, are appearing weeks before voters decide on a five-eighth-cent sales tax measure Nov. 4. County leaders say the sales tax, known as...