San Jose is now the largest city in the state to require its employees and visitors of events at city-owned venues to show proof of a COVID-19 booster shot. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to impose a new mandate requiring city workers and visitors of city-owned facilities, such as the SAP Center and San...
UPDATE: Developer drops proposal for 6-story hotel on Winchester Boulevard
A controversial plan for a 6-story hotel on Winchester Boulevard in San Jose will not move forward after strong opposition from nearby residents. On Tuesday, councilmembers unanimously approved rezoning a 0.69-acre parcel at 1212 S. Winchester Blvd. from residential to commercial development, but rejected a plan to build a 119-room hotel on the plot. The...
UPDATE: San Jose to explore extending voting rights to noncitizens
San Jose will explore a proposal to allow immigrants who are not U.S. citizens to participate in local elections. After hours of passionate public testimony, the City Council voted 10-1 Tuesday night to explore a plan proposed by Councilmembers Magdalena Carrasco and Sylvia Arenas to extend voting rights to noncitizen residents. Councilmember Dev Davis casted...
Lawmakers say Santa Clara County is in a mental health crisis
Santa Clara County lawmakers are recognizing that mental illness and substance abuse is contributing to a major public health crisis in the region, and they want to do something about it. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday for staff to explore a coordinated response to the mental health and substance use treatment needs...
San Jose Vietnamese residents celebrate new community garden
Although plans to resume construction at the Viet Heritage Garden remain on hold, residents can now enjoy farming vegetables and herbs at a community garden at the corner of the vacant land. Roughly 50 residents joined Councilmember Maya Esparza in celebrating the opening of the community garden Saturday morning. “Happy New Year, and thank you...
San José Spotlight receives half-million grant from American Journalism Project
San José Spotlight has received a $500,000 grant from the American Journalism Project, the nation’s largest venture philanthropy dedicated to local news. The grant will allow the South Bay’s only nonprofit newsroom to hire a revenue development professional and audience growth specialist to expand its reach—both topically and geographically. The American Journalism Project (AJP) announced four new...
Santa Clara County supervisors still waiting to hear jail recommendations
As the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors reconvenes for its first meeting of the year, one topic it won’t address is the jail system. The board was scheduled to hear recommendations for changing the jail system today. But at the request of county administration, supervisors won’t hear about any recommendations until Jan. 25. The recommendations...
San Jose extends Coyote Creek Trail, adds patrol program
In an effort to encourage residents to use a new section of the Coyote Creek Trail, San Jose is partnering with Valley Water to start a police patrol around the area that was once the region’s largest homeless encampment. The patrol program, which costs $800,000, is part of the city’s new safety plan for the...
San Jose lawmakers move domestic violence records request behind closed doors
Advocates are upset that San Jose lawmakers have spent months denying body camera footage to a survivor of domestic violence, forcing her to argue her case in a public forum. The city’s Rules and Open Government Committee agreed Wednesday to address a California Public Records Act request filed by a survivor of domestic violence in...
San Jose shop owners hope for revival as Post Street reopens to cars
A stretch of Post Street in downtown San Jose closed for outdoor dining since 2020 will reopen to traffic by the end of this week, while other streets in the Al Fresco program will remain closed. On Thursday early afternoon, the one-way street between First Street and Lightston Alley sat almost empty, as barrels used as...