Santa Clara County lawmakers will focus on three possible maps for changing local political boundaries. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to advance three maps for further consideration at a meeting later this month. The maps being advanced are titled Yellow, Purple and Equal and Equitable (EE) 2.0. The final boundaries must be adopted...
San Jose kids could get COVID shots in a few days
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends COVID-19 shots for children ages 5 to 11, opening the way to vaccination for approximately 167,000 children in Santa Clara County. A CDC advisory committee voted Tuesday to recommend the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children. The agency’s director, Rochelle Walensky, has final approval, which experts...
UPDATE: San Jose delays vote on COVID-related funds
Millions of dollars in federal funds for emergency housing and food services still hang in the balance for San Jose. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to delay plans to give out COVID-related funds from the federal government. Nearly $40 million from the city’s $212 million American Rescue Plan money may go to...
San Jose school districts struggle to find teachers
The lack of full-time and substitute teachers in San Jose schools remains problematic even as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes. Several San Jose school districts have elected to increase substitute teacher pay, and one created a new position to fill teaching holes left by the pandemic. Even those incentives are failing to attract educators back into...
Santa Clara County wants options for emergency housing sites
Local lawmakers are racing to build more emergency housing amid a growing homelessness crisis, but where these sites will go is still undecided. A pair of Santa Clara County officials want to use vacant or underutilized lots for a new temporary housing or safe parking site. The plan is to replicate the Casitas de Esperanza...
Thousands of San Jose residents behind on water bills
The number of San Jose homes and businesses with overdue water bills spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many could see their taps run dry when the state ban on water shutoffs ends in December. At least 1,160 customers have unpaid bills totaling a combined $1.1 million with the San Jose Municipal Water System as...
The Dragon Mountain still closed after Santa Clara County shutdown
Santa Clara County shut down a local, privately-owned park in 2019 over a number of land use and permit violations. The property owner is now claiming county officials are delaying and stonewalling his efforts to fix these issues. For several years, South Bay resident Keith (Kiet) Ngo watched thousands of people from all over the...
San Jose high school locks bathrooms due to vaping
Some South Bay parents are enraged after a San Jose school closed several on-campus bathrooms because of vaping. Administrators at Willow Glen High School temporarily closed four restrooms citing “inappropriate use” of the facilities throughout the day. They informed parents in a letter this week that the closures will allow officials to monitor the remaining...
San Jose mayor taps local organizer to serve as Asian community liaison
Tri Nguyen started work as a community liaison in San Jose City Hall with a clear purpose: To get city services to his community. Since his family immigrated to San Jose from Vietnam more than 17 years ago, Nguyen has grown to love his second home in the South Bay. “I have built my roots here,” Nguyen told...
Domestic violence increased in San Jose during COVID pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated an already invisible problem—domestic violence. When shelter-in-place orders went into effect in early 2020, the situation for San Jose victims of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence trapped them. They were unable to reach out for help, according to YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley CEO Adriana Caldera. The shelter-in-place orders...