After months of anticipation and advocacy, the San Jose City Council discussed extending voting rights to noncitizens. But the three-hour meeting left more questions as to whether there is even a path forward. The study session on Aug. 23 attempted to explore the implementation, feasibility and the legality of allowing noncitizen San Jose residents to vote...
The Biz Beat: International Food Bazaar brings the world to San Jose
When it comes to sourcing what you need to cook the finest of world cuisines, it’s difficult to imagine something the International Food Bazaar in San Jose does not already have in stock. From pink pineapples and halal meats to more than 30 types of canned fava beans, the well-ordered displays are exhaustive in their...
Santa Clara County to study lead levels near airport—again
Santa Clara County is planning another study of airborne lead levels around Reid-Hillview Airport after banning the sale of leaded plane fuel at the facility a year ago. Deputy County Executive David Campos told a group of East San Jose residents about the new study at a community meeting this week. This is the third study on lead levels around the the...
Santa Clara officials say 49ers stadium tour was not a ‘gift’
Two Santa Clara officials are under investigation for allegedly accepting a gift from the San Francisco 49ers football team, which they say was an informational tour they took as part of their city leadership duties. Councilmembers Karen Hardy and Raj Chahal are accused of accepting a gift visit to the 49ers stadium, as the city...
San Jose sweeps homeless to meet federal deadline
With a shopping cart full of his belongings, Jonathan Todd Carlson watched as bulldozers broke down his makeshift home for the last six months—a tarp shelter near Columbus Park. A mechanic by trade and a veteran of 10 years, Carlson has been navigating homelessness in San Jose since 2015, after spending his money on his mother’s...
San Jose police see fewer recruits, more dropouts
The San Jose Police Department is seeing fewer recruits, and those in training are dropping out or failing at the highest rate since 2021. San Jose started its latest police academy class in June with only 28 recruits—the smallest class since 2019, according to city data. The prior class which graduates in September lost 17 out of 37 police...
Touchdown: Santa Clara settles lawsuit with 49ers
Three years and millions of dollars later, the San Francisco 49ers and Santa Clara have settled a high-stakes lawsuit over management of Levi’s Stadium. Three weeks after San José Spotlight first reported the NFL team’s settlement offer, Santa Clara administrators on Wednesday accepted a deal to end the litigation, according to team officials. Before signing the...
San Jose approves 600 condos on Stevens Creek Boulevard
A few gray, nondescript commercial buildings in the northwestern corner of San Jose will be replaced by nearly 600 condos and hundreds of hotel rooms, as part of a project several years in the making. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the latest version of a development from Los Angeles-based Miramar Capital...
What San Jose should know about the new COVID vaccine
The new omicron variant booster shot may be a game changer in the fight against COVID-19. Until now, the current vaccine and boosters did not target omicron. The new booster shot is designed to be effective against omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. The formula combines half of the original vaccine with protections that target the omicron subvariants....
Santa Clara County mental health system ‘fundamentally broken’
Since Santa Clara County declared a mental health crisis in January, little has changed to combat the problem, supervisors said in a pull-no-punches memo to County Executive Jeff Smith. Local officials are frustrated with county’s lack of progress in addressing its mental health crisis, and are demanding an acceleration of several projects—including the construction of...